Thursday 30th June 2016

Former Minister, Ojo Maduekwe, Literary Icon, Elechi Amadi, Pass on Ekweremadu, Wike, Walid, Obi, Peterside express shock Iyobosa Uwugiaren, Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt Family, friends and associates

were thrown into mourning yesterday when Nigeria lost two renowned figures – former Minister of Foreign Affairs, lawyer and politician, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, and

foremost literary icon, Captain Elechi Amadi (rtd), of “The Concubine” fame.

Maduekwe, who was until his death the Secretary of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), died yesterday at the age of 71 shortly after taking ill after he returned from a trip Continued on page 9

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Court Sacks Sheriff as PDP Chairman... Page 8

Maduekwe

Amadi

MTN Pays Another N30bn, Wins 2.6GHz Licence... Page 56 Thursday 30 June, 2016 Vol 21. No 7735. Price: N250

www.thisdaylive.com TR

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Kachikwu Signs $80bn Oil and Gas Infrastructure Deals in China Gets further commitments from Sinopec, CNOOC to close $20bn upstream deals in months

Ejiofor Alike in Lagos and Chineme Okafor in Abuja

Continued on page 8

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Investment opportunities - Ventures

Investment opportunities - Power

Plants

Project name

Description

1. Abuja power plant

Design, construct and operate a 1350MW power plant in Abuja 1.6-2.0

2. Kaduna power plant

Design, construct and operate a 900MW power plant in Kaduna 1.0-1.3

3. Kano power plant

Design, construct and operate a 900MW power plant in Kano 1.0-1.3

Project & Description

Investment required USD billions

Total

Ventures

3.

4.

4.

Investment required USD billions

1.Investment in equipment leasing (rigs, FPSOs) and operations & maintenance services

0.25-0.3

2.Development of multi-specialist hospital and cancer diagnosis and treatment centres at Lagos, Kaduna, Abuja, and Warri

0.25-0.3

3.Establishment of 400,000MT L-SAW Pipe Mill

0.23-0.3

3.6-4.5

0.7-1

Total

Gusau Maiduguri

Kano

4.

Zaria Source: NNPC ABUs, CP&S

Minna

Investment opportunities - Gas Infrastructure Project name

Description

Investment required USD billions

Nigeria 1. QIT to OB/OB BOO 261 km x 36 inches pipeline pipeline pipeline from QIT--Ukanafun project -Obigbo-Ob/Ob 2. OUA pipeline

BOO 418 km x 36 inches pipeline from ObigboUmuahia-Ajaokuta

1 3. AKK pipeline

BOO 683 km x 40 inches pipeline from Ajaokuta – Abuja – Kaduna – Kano (Already tendered)

Total

1.

Yola

Jos

Ilorin

Project & Description

Mosimi

0.9-1.1

1.3-1.6 1.3-1.6

Ibadan

Atlas call Cove

1,2.

4.

4.

3.

Historical returns on NNPC midstream projects have been in the range of ~10-15%

1.

7.

Makurdi

Ore Auchi

Satellite Mosimi

2.2-2.7

WRPC

Escravos

2.

4.

3. AKK pipeline

Calabar Port Harcourt

PHRC

1,2.

2.

Intervention & 1. KRPC Rehab of Water Treatment Plant Rehab of Power Generation System Revamp of Refinery Control System

Irehab

2. 24”X783km Warri/Port Harcout/Kaduna crude pipeline

0.8-1

New 16”x72.8km Atlas Cove to Mosimi 3. pipeline with associated upgrade of pumping station

0.1-0.12

4.Construction of 120,000 metric tons petroleum products storage tanks as strategic reserves

0.2-0.3

5.12km subsea pipeline Atlas Cove to Apapa

0.06-0.08

6.Installation of 100 new technology based product filling stations with ultramodern 0.3-0.4 forecourt facilities Total

6.

2. PHRC

3. Kano power plant Investment opportunities - Upsteam Gas Development Description

1.

1. Abuja power plant 0.4-0.5

2. Kaduna power plant

2. PHRC n

Procurement and Installation of Boilers System Crude / Product Storage & Evacuation 0.3-0.4

3. WRPC n Col-located refineries Total

Rehab of Waste Water Treatment Plant Upgrade jetty; dredge channel Rehab of Power Plant & Utilities

0.6-0.7

4. PHRC Additional Capacity of 50 kbopd

0.1-0.2 1.4-1.8

Historical returns on NNPC midstream projects have been in the range of ~10-15%

3-3.9

Historical returns on NNPC downstream projects have been in the range of ~15%+

1. QIT to OB/OB pipeline 1.

1.6-2

Pipeline depot

2.

Investment opportunities - Refineries Investment required USD billions

1.Revamp LPG and build new CNG plants

Retail

2. OUA pipeline

1.

3.

2.

Investment required USD billions

LPG/CNG

1,4 KRPC

Aba

Bonny

5.

Makurdi

Enugu

Benin

Warri

3. WRPC

Project & Description

Investment opportunities - Downstream

Suleja

Gas Development

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with several Chinese firms for over $80 billion new investments, spanning five years, in the oil and gas industry covering pipelines, refineries, gas and power, facility refurbishments and upstream financing.

Speaking exclusively to THISDAY yesterday from Beijing, China, Kachikwu said the agreements had been executed during the

SCHEMATIC MAP FOR THE OIL AND GAS INFRASTRUCTURE GAPS

Power Gas Infrastructure Refineries Ventures Downstream Upstream Gas Development

Investment required USD billions

1. Development of 4.3TCF Asaa North/Ohaji South 500-600mmscfd 1.2-1.5 2. Development of 6.5TCF Ekulama, Awoba and Alakiri 250-500mmscfd 0.6-0.8 3. Development of 6.4TCF gas fields (SamabriBiseni, Akri- Oguta, Ubie-Oshi, and 1.5-1.9 Afuo-Ogbainbiri)500-600mmscfd

4. Development of 7TCF NPDC’s OML 26, 30 & 42 500-600mmscfd 0.9-1.1 5. Development of 2.2TCF SPDC JV Gas Supply to Brass Fertilizer Company 0.1-0.2 270mmscfd 6. Cluster development of 5TCF OPL 2001, 2002 and 2003 to support the expansion of Seven Energy Uquo Gas Plant; 400mmscfd 1.8-2.3 7. Cluster development of 6TCF Okpokunou/ Tuomo West (OML 35/62) 7.3-9.2 500-600mmscfd

Total

7.3-9.3

Historical returns on NNPC upstream projects have been in the range of ~ 15%+

Source: NNPC ABUs, CP&S

2

THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016

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THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016

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THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016 T H I S D AY

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THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 • T H I S D AY

PAGE EIGHT

In a Judicial Coup, Court Sacks Sheriff as PDP Chairman He was not sacked, says former national secretary as party appeals for dialogue Edo factional primary throws up Iduoriyekemwen as candidate Tobi Soniyi, Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Adibe Emonyonu in Benin The controversy surrounding the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) assumed a new twist yesterday, when an Abuja High Court sitting in Apo District of the Federal Capital Territory ordered the party’s factional Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff, and other officers of the party to refrain from parading themselves in those capacities.

Justice Valentine Ashi of Court 29 issued an order restraining the individuals “currently parading themselves as the national officers of the PDP on the basis of the purported amendment to the PDP constitution effected at a special convention held in Abuja on December 10 and 11, 2014”.

By the amendment of 2014, effected on Article 47 Paragraph 6 of the PDP constitution, the party amended the provision which says in the event of a vacancy, the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) can appoint an acting chairman from the area or zone where the last occupant of the office comes from “pending when election is conducted” to reflect that where there is a vacancy, the acting chairman shall “serve the tenure of the officer”, who left before the expiration of the tenure.

Justice Ashi declared that the 2014 amendment to the PDP constitution was illegal on the grounds that the party did not comply with Section 66(2) (3) of its constitution by not serving the national secretary with a written copy of the proposed amendment two months before the convention, which the secretary was also required to circulate among state secretaries of the party a month before the convention.

The judge did not specifically mention Sheriff in his judgment, but ordered that those who became national officers of the party by virtue of the

2014 amendment to the PDP constitution, which the court has declared unlawful, should cease to parade themselves in those capacities.

The judge emphasised the need for the party to strictly adhere to the provisions of its constitution, even as he held that the insertion of the clauses in Section 66(2) and (3) was to deepen democracy in the party and that they constituted conditions precedent that must be first fulfilled.

Having not fulfilled the requirements, the judge invalidated the emergence of Sheriff as the party's chairman.

The judgment was on a suit filed by a PDP member from Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State, Joseph Jero, against the PDP. It was marked: FCT/ HC/CV/1867/2016 and had the PDP as the sole defendant.

The plaintiff, Jero, had invoked the jurisdiction of the court to interpret Sections 221(d) and 223 (1)(a) of the Nigerian Constitution, Article 47(6) of the PDP constitution as well as Section 85(3) of the Electoral Act with regards to the appointment of a caretaker or chairman of the party.

The judge held that the process leading to the amendment of Article 47(6) of the party’s constitution did not comply with the provisions in section 66(2) and (3) of its constitution.

Justice Ashi dismissed the argument by lawyers to the PDP, including Okere Kingdom to the effect that the appointment of the party’s chairman was the internal affair of the party which the court should not dabble into.

The judge held that although the issue was the internal affair of the party, the court had jurisdiction to determine whether the party complied with its own constitution and regulations.

After a thorough analysis of submissions by parties and evidence presented, Justice Ashi ordered that “the purported amendment of Article 47, Rule

6 of the PDP constitution, 2012, at a Special Convention held on Wednesday and Thursday, 10 and 11 December, 2014 was unconstitutional, null and void, as there was no compliance with mandatory provision of Article 66 (2) and (3) of the same Constitution”.

“By reason of the above, the purported amendment of Article 47(6) introduced to PDP Constitution on the aforesaid dates, are hereby set aside.

“All persons, individuals, officers, servants or agents of PDP parading themselves as the national officers of the PDP, pursuant to the purported constitution, which has now been nullified, are hereby restrained from further parading themselves in these capacities,” he said.

The original section in the PDP constitution provided that in the case of a vacancy, the executive committee of the party either at ward, state or national level, should appoint a caretaker or a chairman from the zone of the former holder of the office “pending the conduct of election”.

The amended provision stipulates that the appointed caretaker or chairman should hold office “to serve the term of the (previous) officer”.

The amendment was made by the party to validate the emergence of Adamu Mu’azu as the chairman of the party following the abrupt exit of his predecessor, Bamanga Tukur, in 2014 and to sustain the emergence of former President Goodluck Jonathan as the presidential candidate of the party.

Sheriff, a former governor of Borno State, became the party’s chairman by virtue of the 2014 amendment and being from the same zone as Mu’azu.

However, in a swift reaction, the former National Secretary of the PDP, Prof. Adewale Oladipo, disagreed with reports that the court had sacked Sheriff, saying that the

ruling of the court had nothing to do with the election of the former Borno State governor as the national chairman.

In a statement yesterday, Oladipo, who along with Sheriff, is battling to retain his positions, said: “Our attention has been drawn to reports circulating in the media that a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has ousted the National Chairman of the PDP, Sen. Ali-Modu Sheriff.

“This is completely false and a clear misrepresentation of the ruling of the court as it never gave any ruling ousting the national chairman.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the court only heard and delivered judgment on a matter concerning certain amendments in the PDP Constitution, which has nothing to do with the election of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the national chairman or even that of his predecessor, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu.

“Senator Modu Sheriff was duly elected as the national chairman of the PDP. He still holds office as the national chairman and has not been removed by any court.

“We therefore urge those misleading the media and the unsuspecting public to desist from such. The media are also urged to always crosscheck their facts before going to press.”

The party, on the other hand, adopted a more conciliatory stance, as its National Caretaker Committee called on Sheriff and other aggrieved members to stop their recalcitrant acts and embrace dialogue as a means of resolving their grievances.

Speaking to journalists yesterday after the court ruling in Abuja, the Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Senator Ben Obi, said the party expected more positive judicial pronouncements in the weeks ahead.

According to him, the committee believes that rebuilding the party needs every useful hand and will welcome those aggrieved

members to submit to dialogue and to cooperate with the Makarfi-led committee in charting the way forward for the party.

“We expect more positive court rulings in the days ahead in favour of our party. It is time for them to face the truth and retrace their steps,” he said.

On whether the committee was ready to welcome Sheriff and others back, he said: “We believe that all hands should be on deck to chart the way forward. Given that we believe that the truth must be upheld, we want all hands on deck and to always do the right thing at all time.”

The court ruling notwithstanding, the PDP faction led by Sheriff went ahead with the Edo PDP primary for the selection of a candidate to contest the governorship election in the state in September.

At the end of the primary, Mr. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen emerged yesterday as the governorship candidate of the congress held by the Sheriff-led faction of the party in Edo State.

Iduoriyekemwen scored a total of 481 votes after another contestant, Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, stepped down for him.

Following the latest primary, the Edo State PDP now parades two candidates for the September 10, 2016 governorship election.

Earlier, the Ahmed Makarfiled faction of the PDP held its governorship primary, which threw up Pastor Ize Iyamu as the candidate of the party.

Announcing the result, the chairman of the factional electoral panel, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, announced a delegate list of 677. He said 576 delegates were actually accredited, 21 invalid votes were recorded while the winner got 481 votes.

Announcing the outcome of the primary, he said: “By the power conferred on me as the electoral chairman and the constitution of our great party, Matthew Aigbuenze

Iduoriyekemwen is hereby returned as the candidate of the party for the September 10, 2016 governorship election in Edo State having scored a total of 481 votes.”

In his acceptance speech, Iduoriyekemwen described his victory as the beginning of change in Edo. The victor expressed his appreciation to the Sheriff-led leadership of the PDP for coming to conduct the primary and thanked them for not going back to the same problem of lack of internal democracy which he said crippled the party.

Earlier while stepping down, Agbinayinma, the member representing Egor/Ikpoba-Okha federal constituency, said he decided to step down to join Iduoriyekemwen in his quest to rebuild the state.

According to him, “How we can make Edo State a better place is what matters and I want to join hands to build the state. In the last primary election, I saw impunity taking place.

“After much consultation, I decided to present myself for this primary election because it is the only authentic primary given the court judgment recognising Ali Modu Sheriff as the national chairman of our party, PDP. “But I am stepping aside for my friend and brother in the interest of the party and Edo State. Vote and support Matthew Aigbohueze Iduoriyekemwen.”

In his remarks, the factional deputy national chairman of PDP, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, commended the security agencies present for the stringent measures they took to ensure that only genuine delegates participated in the governorship primary.

Ojougboh, who led a delegation of party officials, appealed to the leadership of the party to rally round the Sheriff-led PDP, stating: “Modu Sheriff is the authentic national chairman of PDP.”

be required as these involve sovereign guarantees.

“But the number of projects that require sovereign guarantees are very limited, as most of them are build and operate projects such as the pipelines and refineries, which are attractive prospects for the Chinese firms that have expressed interest in coming to Nigeria.”

He added that unlike the oil-for-infrastructure deals with Chinese, Korean and Indian firms entered into by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, but all went burst due to the federal government’s inability to meet its own side of the bargain, the projects would not be paid for with oil, adding that the returns on investments made by the Chinese would come from the projects.

Also speaking to THISDAY yesterday, an official in the petroleum ministry said Kachikwu signed the MoUs with companies that included China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO), CINDA, CNOOC, Chem

China and Sinopec/Addax and ICC-NDRC, among others.

He said: “The huge success of the roadshow leveraged on the minister’s 30 years experience and contacts in the oil and gas industry, as well as President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership and support.”

He added that the roadshow was a fallout of two months of planning by officials of NNPC and the petroleum ministry that targeted investment meetings with 38 Chinese firms.

“Other roadshows to India and the Gulf states are planned

by Dr. Kachikwu for July and August should there be a need for this.

“This show of support reflects the growing international confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector following major reforms over the last seven months and belief in the government and integrity of President Buhari by foreign governments and investors.”

Following THISDAY’s enquiries, a statement provided

by NNPC also said: “The Nigerian National Petroleum

Corporation wishes to announce the recent landmark strides the corporation has achieved in its bid to bridge the infrastructure funding gaps in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

“This comes in the form of a first of its kind roadshow in China where memorandums of understanding (MOUs) worth over $80 billion to be spent on investments in oil and gas infrastructure – pipelines, refineries, power, facility refurbishments and upstream – have been signed with Chinese companies.

“Dr. Kachikwu, while speaking during the plenary of a special Investors’ Roundtable which had in attendance over 300 Chinese and Nigerian businessmen and investors with a key focus on the oil and gas sector, reiterated that the roadshow was organised as a follow up to the earlier working visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to China in April, 2016.

“He further commended

KACHIKWU SIGNS $80BN OIL AND GAS INFRASTRUCTURE DEALS IN CHINA three-day roadshow in the Asian country to attract investments to Nigeria's oil and gas sector.

The objective, he said, is to bridge the infrastructure funding gaps in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

He said: “I can confirm that we had a successful outing and finally raised investment commitments and signed MoUs worth $80 billion.

“Out of this, $10 billion approximately was raised on the sides with our steer and push for two Nigerian companies – Delta Tek and Salvic Petroleum – while the balance of $70 billion includes MoUs signed by investors and financiers for projects with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).”

Salvic Petroleum is a company founded and chaired

by Dr. ABC Orjiako, who is also the Chairman of foremost Nigerian oil independent, Seplat Petroleum Plc. Kachikwu also revealed that other than the agreements executed for investments totalling $80 billion, he also

got commitments from Sinopec and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) to commit to further investments in Nigeria’s upstream oil subsector to the tune of $20 billion, which would be concluded in the next few months.

This, he said, would effectively bring the total amount of prospective investments by Chinese firms over a five-year period to over $100 billion.

“Outside these (MoUs for $80 billion investments), the two largest oil companies in China, Sinopec and CNOOC, signed investment MoUs agreeing to announce after further discussions on major investment increases in the Nigerian oil and gas in the next few months.

“Given the areas of focus of these two companies, we do not expect that investment to be less than $20 billion.

The net effect of these and other agreements in principle reached with investor interest in China on this roadshow will potentially provide investment funds for Nigerian oil and gas

of over $100 billion over the next five years.

“These investments cover every facet of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector – upstream, pipelines, downstream, gas and power, modular refining in the creeks, engineering services, etc.

“It has been a fantastic outing and if we can follow through on all these, it will change the face of Nigeria’s oil and gas forever. This will bring hope even to the Niger Delta and is the single biggest amount of MoUs signed on investment in any third world country in a roadshow,” he said.

The minister informed THISDAY that his ministry and NNPC would work round the clock over the next few months to perfect all the documents and meet all the conditions precedent to draw down on the commitments made by the Chinese firms.

“We will work round the clock to meet the conditions precedent to draw down and make these investments a reality. Of course, the federal government’s approval on certain commitments will

Continued on page 9

9

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016

NEWS

Nigeria Ranked One of World’s Most Unstable Countries Report says country fuelling instability among its neighbours Tobi Soniyi in Abuja The Fund for Peace, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit, non-governmental research and educational institution, has ranked Nigeria as one of the world’s most unstable countries.

In its 12th annual Fragile States Index (FSI) released yesterday, Fund for Peace ranked Nigeria alongside war-torn Afghanistan, Haiti, Iraqi, Guinea, Pakistan, Burundi and Zimbabwe.

It stated that the situation in Nigeria deteriorated in 2015 when compared with 2014.

Fund for Peace cited the economic downturn occasioned by the fall in oil price and the activities of Boko Haram in the North-eastern part of Nigeria for classifying Nigeria among countries where peace deteriorated in 2015.

Nigeria was also placed among countries classified as “high alert” meaning that the situation in Nigeria had worsened compared to the previous year.

This category is just one level shy of the “very high alert” which comprises countries like Syria, Somalia, Central Africa Republic, Congo Democratic Republic, Yemen, Chad, Sudan and South Sudan where peace had totally collapsed.

The 2016 FSI, the 12th edition of the annual index, comprises data collected between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015 — thus certain well-publicised events that have occurred since January 1, 2016 are not covered by the 2016 index.

The index is an annual ranking of 178 nations based on their levels of stability and the pressures they face.

The index is based on the Fund for Peace’s proprietary Conflict Assessment System Tool (CAST) analytical platform.

Based on comprehensive social science methodology, data from three primary sources are triangulated and subjected to critical review to obtain final scores for the FSI. Millions of documents are analysed every year, and by applying highly specialised

Buhari search parameters, scores are apportioned for every country based on 12 key political, social and economic indicators and over 100 sub-indicators that are the result of years of painstaking expert social science research.

In an explanation note, the Fund for Peace, after making reference to Syria, cited Nigeria as another example where destabilising cross-border

effects could be seen.

It said: “Beset by a tumultuous electoral campaign in 2015 that saw the administration of Goodluck Jonathan unseated by the return to power of Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s standing in the Fragile States Index has worsened, as the economy is deeply impacted by falling oil prices and the north of the country is terrorised by Boko Haram insurgency.”

It stated that like the crisis in Syria, pressures had bled across Nigeria’s borders to its neighbours.

It categorised Nigeria's neighbour, Cameroun, as the second most worsened country in 2016.

Cameroun had seen a marked increase in cross-border violence perpetrated by Boko Haram.

The organisation observed that Boko Haram has widened its campaign beyond Nigeria’s borders and is kidnapping and ambushing Camerounian security forces, as well as targeting Camerounian

civilians.

It said: “Cameroun is also experiencing increasing pressures from Nigerian refugees fleeing into Cameroun to escape the violence in their own country, and in turn, placing intense pressure on food and medical supplies in Cameroun.

“The World Food Programme has estimated that as many as 100,000 people find themselves displaced in Cameroun as a result of the Boko Haramgenerated instability, including both Nigerian refugees and internally-displaced Camerounians.”

Fund for Peace also stated that Niger, to Nigeria’s north, was similarly under pressure as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency.

It said: “Though Niger has not worsened as much in the past year as has Cameroun, it is nevertheless still experiencing intense pressures. In late 2015, the Nigerien government declared a state of emergency in the border region of Diffa, adjacent to Nigeria, to deal

with the continued cross-border attacks by Boko Haram, that has already claimed a growing number of civilian casualties.

Adding further pressure on Niger – which is one of the world’s poorest countries and finds itself at the bottom of UNDP’s annual development report – it is estimated by UNHCR that in 2015 alone, 150,000 Nigerian refugees had fled across the border into Niger to escape the violence perpetrated by Boko Haram.

“Notably, Chad has also seen clear worsening over the past year, however it is less clear as to how much of that worsening was contributed by the spillover from Nigeria, particularly as Chadian troops find themselves heavily involved in engaging Boko Haram, even within Nigeria’s borders.”

The report said it was clear that Cameroun and Niger – and to a lesser extent, Chad – were coming under intense pressure induced by violence and instability in its larger neighbour, Nigeria.

Some of his other works included The Great Ponds, Isiburu, Sunset in Biafra, Dance of Johannesburg, Peppersoup, The Road to Ibadan, The Slave, Estrangement, Les Grand Etangs, and The Woman of Calabar.

A scholar, Eldred Jones, in “African Literature 1966-1967”, African Forum, described the late literary icon as “a Nigerian author of plays and novels that are generally about African village life, customs, beliefs and religious practices, as they were before contact with the Western world”.

Born in 1934 in Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, Amadi attended Government College, Umuahia (1948–52), Survey School, Oyo (1953–54), and the University of Ibadan (1955–59), where he obtained a degree in Physics and Mathematics.

He worked for a time as a land surveyor and later was a teacher at several schools, including the Nigerian Military School, Zaria (1963–66). Amadi served in the Nigerian Army, remained there during the Nigerian Civil War, and retired at the rank of captain.

He held various positions with the Rivers State Government: Permanent Secretary (1973–83), Commissioner for Education (1987–88) and Commissioner for Lands and Housing (1989–90).

He was a writer-in-residence and lecturer at the Rivers State College of Education (now Ignatius Ajuru University of Education), where he also held the positions of Dean of Arts, Head of the Literature Department and Director of General Studies.

In his lifetime, he was

severally honoured by institutions and writers. On May 13, 1989, a symposium was held at the University of Port Harcourt to celebrate his 55th birthday while in May 2004, a conference was also organised by the Association of Nigerian Authors, Rivers State branch, to mark his 70th birthday.

He celebrated his 80th birthday in Port Harcourt in 2014, releasing a souvenir edition of one of his plays, Isiburu.

Amadi, who lived in his native Aluu community till his death, was kidnapped on January 5, 2009 at his home in Aluu town by unknown gunmen. He was released 23 hours later on the evening of January 6.

Reacting to the news of the death of Amadi, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike said he was saddened by the death of the literary icon, describing his passage as a loss to the country.

In a condolence message to the family, the people of Rivers State and the entire country, Wike said Amadi’s contributions to the development of the nation were legendary.

He said his literary works promoted Rivers State, the Niger Delta and the country, hence he would be celebrated

by Rivers State and all lovers of literature across the country.

Wike said the late Amadi was a consummate patriot, a great literary icon, a soldier’s soldier, and development enthusiast.

He prayed to God to grant his immediate family the strength to bear the irreparable loss, pointing out that his achievements in different areas of national life would always be remembered.

The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, also described the late Amadi as a patriot and literary icon who lived a good life.

A statement issued by his media office said: “Today we mourn the passage of a globally acknowledged literary icon and role model who lived an exemplary life.

“Captain Elechi Amadi, certainly was a man of many parts who touched lives in many ways. And he will be remembered for good by many people who met him physically or through his books. He was a well-known author, publisher, soldier and statesman who was concerned about a better society.

“My generation will definitely remember him more for his great books like The Concubine, The Great Ponds, Sunset in Biafra, Estrangement, The Slave, and a collection of poems.

“It is regrettable that Amadi passed away at a time when Rivers, our dear state is still far away from the aspirations of its founding fathers like him and most sons and daughters of the state.

“There is no doubt that Elder Elechi Amadi and other founding fathers will be weeping in their graves at the state of Rivers State.

Nigeria and the international literary community has lost a creative giant.

“The departed patriot, no doubt, had a remarkable life and he will surely be remembered for serving humanity with literature and his interventions.

May his soul find eternal rest in the Lord.”

The master plan would form the basis of massive inflow of further investment from Chinese companies into the sector.

“At the end of the plenary, Dr. Kachikwu expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government and investors for the show of support which reflects the growing

international confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector following the major reforms that have been overseen under his leadership as both Group Managing Director of NNPC and Minister of State, Petroleum Resources over the last seven months, and also the belief in the government and integrity of President Buhari

by foreign governments and investors.

“Dr. Kachikwu further mentioned that the China roadshow is the first of many investor roadshows intended for raising funds to support the Oil and Gas Infrastructure Roadmap. Roadshows have been slated for India and the Gulf states,” NNPC said.

FORMER MINISTER, OJO MADUEKWE, LITERARY ICON, ELECHI AMADI, PASS ON to the United States. He was said to have passed away on his way to the hospital.

Although it could not be ascertained which hospital he was being rushed to, THISDAY gathered from close associates that he was to be taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, before he gave up the ghost.

Maduekwe was born on May 6, 1945 in Ohafia, Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State. He graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsuka with LL.B Honours in 1972, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1973.

He was once the National Secretary of the PDP in 2005 and had worked as the Deputy Director of the PDP Presidential Campaign in 2011 for the Goodluck/Sambo ticket.

Other positions he held included Nigerian Ambassador to Canada (2011-2015); Minister of Foreign Affairs; Minister of Transport (20002003); Minister of Culture & Tourism (1990-2000); Legal and Constitutional Adviser to the President (2003-2005); Member, National Assembly (Second Republic) in 1983; Member, Constitutional Assembly (1988-1990); Member, National Constitutional Conference (1994-1995); and Adviser to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Chairman (1990-1992).

He also once served as the adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (1993-1995); Member, National Boundaries Adjustment Commission (19971998) and was elected a senator in 1998 in the Third Republic.

A erudite scholar and newspaper columnist, Madukwe belonged to many professional bodies including the Nigeria Bar Association

(NBA), American Bar Association and International Bar Association, and was until last night a Senior Partner of Maduekwe & Co. An elder in the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Maduekwe was also a Paul Harns Fellow in the Rotary Club.

Following his sudden demise, Nigerians especially members of his party expressed shock and disbelief over the passing of the loquacious politician.

The Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who was one of the early visitors at the Abuja residence of the deceased politician, expressed deep sadness over his death.

In a short statement issued by his media aide, Uche Anichukwu, Ekweremadu described the late Maduekwe “as a political colossus, public administrator par excellence and an uncommon patriot who has given his best to his fatherland”.

He said he would be sorely missed.

The Chairman of the PDP BoT, Senator Walid Jubrin, described him as an intelligent person with the ability to solve nutty issues.

Jubrin, who said he was in Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj, added that he was shocked when he was told that Maduekwe had passed on.

According to Jubrin, family sources told him that Maduekwe died on his way to the hospital.

Jubrin said that he would use the opportunity of the lesser Hajj to pray for his family, adding that the party would continue to mourn him.

He said he would have loved to cut his journey to Saudi Arabia short, but disclosed that he could not do so as

the process of the lesser Hajj had already started.

Jubrin said that he had been waiting for Maduekwe to return from his trip to the US, so they could put heads together to address the problem bedevelling the party.

He regretted that the former Nigeria Ambassador to Canada passed on at a critical time when the party needed him the most.

A former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, also mourned Maduekwe’s demise.

He described Maduekwe as an unusual politician, who was not afraid of his own voice, especially in speaking out on matters bordering on the way forward for the country.

If he was brutal at certain points, Obi said, it was just an insight into the depth of his passion.

Obi also mourned the death of Elechi Amadi, describing him as one of the literary generals that helped in conquering the factors that militated against literary growth in the country.

He said that he would remain alive through his literary works.

Obi prayed to God to grant both eternal rest and to grant those they left behind the courage to bear the losses.

Amadi, THISDAY gathered, died at the Good Heart Hospital, Port Harcourt of an undisclosed ailment.

A member of the family, Mr. Wabueze Amadi, said the renowned author, poet and novelist died at about 3.45pm yesterday at the hospital.

Amadi, who was 82 years old, will be best remembered for his 1966 novel, The Concubine, which has been called “an outstanding work of pure fiction”.

KACHIKWU SIGNS $80BN OIL AND GAS INFRASTRUCTURE DEALS IN CHINA the efforts and resolve of the president whose steer and support in ensuring that there is a marked transformation of the oil and gas industry has inspired the management to work towards institutionalising of focus, accountability, commitment and transparency at the corporation.”

NNPC added that the

International Cooperation Commission (ICC) of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), in charge of implementing cooperation between the Chinese government, foreign governments and organisations, had committed to developing an overarching master plan for the Nigerian oil and gas

sector that would include a detailed feasibility study of the current status of existing infrastructure in the industry.

“They will also develop bankable projects that would attract Chinese investors on this government-to-government platform. This initiative would move us to a much more profitable and efficient state.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

News Editor Davidson Iriekpen Email davidson.iriekpen@thisdaylive.com, 08111813081

Senate, SGF in War of Words over Forgery of Senate Standing Order Iyobosa Uwugiaren in Abuja A war of words yesterday erupted between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir Lawal, and Senate President Bukola Saraki as the SGF advised the embattled senate president to tow the path of honour and tender his resignation if he felt aggrieved over his ongoing trial in court for alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Rules.

But in a swift reaction, the Senate replied that the trial of Saraki and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the upper legislative chamber was being assaulted.

In a statement, Lawal also allegedly accused Saraki of dragging the entire National Assembly into his criminal trial, saying he and his Deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, were standing trial as individuals over the forgery case brought against them by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

Drawing analogy from the case of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Salisu Buhari, who resigned from office over certificate forgery allegations leveled against him, the SGF said the former Speaker did not drag the entire National Assembly structure into the debacle.

He noted that both Saraki and Ekweremadu were alleged to have forged the Senate standing rules at the inception of the eighth Senate for which they were standing trial before an Abuja High Court.

The SGF took exception to various aspersions being cast on President Muhammadu Buhari as being the brain behind the crisis in the National Assembly.

According to him, “Since the arraignment of the two leaders of the Senate, they

have issued two separate press statements conveying messages that are far from being complementary to the person and government of President Buhari.

“Saraki in his statement clearly insinuated that the president is not in control of his administration and that a cabal now runs the federal administration. On the part of Ekweremadu, he insists that President Buhari is exhibiting dictatorial tendencies that can derail our democracy.

“From their statements, the two leaders of the Senate also gave this erroneous impression that by their arraignment, it is the entire Senate and indeed, the legislative arm of government that is on trial.

“They want the public to believe that their prosecution is utter disregard by the executive arm of government for the constitutional provisions of separation of powers and that preferring the forgery case against them is a vendetta exercise.’’

Lawal added that since the case is in court, the judiciary should be allowed to do its job, saying it is important to emphasise that the case involves only the four accused persons and should not be presented to the unsuspecting public as involving the entire Senate.

“A case of forgery is usually preferred against individuals. This is not different. As was the case with a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, who was accused of certificate forgery; what he did was to resign, honourably.

“The matter did not even go to court. In that particular case, it was never orchestrated as a matter for the National Assembly.”

According to the SGF, the complaint leading to the forgery investigation was

reported to the police by some aggrieved senators who specifically accused certain persons, stating that the matter before the court was neither that of the Senate nor the House of Representatives.

“To bring the National Assembly as a body into this court case is totally unwarranted. It can only be for other purposes and reasons outside the investigation and legal proceedings,’’ Lawal added.

He also said the separate statements by the Senate president and his deputy were contradictory, noting that while Saraki believes President Buhari had abdicated his powers, and that a cabal was in charge of federal administration, Ekweremadu said Buhari had become a

dictator.

“Our democracy is still evolving and deepening. The provisions of the separation of powers are entrenched in our constitution and should guide everyone’s conduct.

“The rule of law is indeed supreme. This particular case is before the judiciary and is not being decided by the executive arm of government.

All that has transpired is still within the confines of our laws.

“These are the rights to accuse, to be investigated and be arraigned before the court. To impute other considerations to the process is unfortunate. We should allow the process to take its course in consonance with the dictates of the law and total obeisance to the cardinal

democratic principle of the separation of powers,” Lawal noted.

But in a statement by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, he said it was the upper legislative chamber that was being assaulted by the trial of Saraki and Ekweremadu.

According to the statement, “We note in the statement issued by Lawal that the Senate is not the one on trial in the forgery case instituted by the AGF against the senate president and his deputy.

“We disagree with him on this position and we maintain our earlier stand that it is the Senate that is the target of the present attempt to intimidate the legislature to force a leadership change in

the Senate.

“Lawal should tell us how reasonable it is to conclude that when the president of Nigeria and the vice president are being jointly tried in a suit which outcome can remove them from office, if it’s not Buhari government that is being targeted.

“Is it not also imperative to clearly state that contrary to the claim by the SGF that Saraki nor Ekweremadu were mentioned by the petitioners, the statements by those interviewed by the police or even the police report.

“Meanwhile, let us refresh Lawal’s memory about the facts of the 1999 case. It is obvious that the Senate president and his deputy are

Cont’d on Pg 58

DINNER WITH ROYAL FATHERS

L-R: Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe; Sultan of Sokoto , Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III; President Muhammadu Buhari; and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, at the breaking Ramandan fast with the president at the Presidential Villa in Abuja ...yesterday GODWIN OMOIGUI

CBN, Citibank Execute First Naira-Settled OTC FX Futures of $20m Central bank confirms talks on planned resumption of dollar supply to BDCs Obinna Chima The first Naira-settled overthe-counter (OTC) foreign exchange (FX) Futures on the FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange was yesterday executed between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Citibank Nigeria Limited.

Although the FMDQ which disclosed this on its website, did not give further details about the transactions, THISDAY gathered from a reliable source in the market that the total amount of the FX Futures contract was $20 million.

“That money will come into Nigeria and in the short-medium term, as FX inflows into Nigeria increases, we expect to see an improvement in the liquidity position

of the market,” the source who pleaded to remain anonymous said.

But at the end of trading yesterday, the exchange rate for the OTC FX Futures for one-month closed at N279/$1; while the two-month rate due for settlement on August 24 closed at N277/$; the threemonth rate due for settlement on September 28 closed at N275/$, and the 4-month rate due for settlement on October 26 closed at N267/$1. In addition, while the 5-month OTC FX Futures closed at N260/$; the 6-month rate N250/$1; the 1-year rate closed at N225/$1.

The Naira-settled OTC FX Futures contracts was launched on Monday when the CBN sold naira-settled OTC FX Futures contracts of non-standardised

amounts for different tenors from one month through to 12 months.

The Managing Director/CEO of FMDQ, Mr. Bola Onadele, had described the naira-settled OTC FX Futures product was a major milestone in the evolution of Nigerian financial markets.

“The futures market is an opportunity to transform risk into certainty – a major paradigm shift in the financial markets landscape. This innovation provides opportunities for government, businesses, pension fund administrators, investors, individuals, etc., to hedge (not speculate), cope with exchange rate risk.

“It also affords the CBN a greater opportunity to manage exchange rate volatility, thus achieving greater market confi-

dence, liquidity, improvement in business planning, job security, employment, better allocation of resources, global competitiveness of the Nigerian financial markets, and all in all, a thriving economy,” Onadele said.

Apparently excited by the cheering news on about the Naira-settled OTC FX Futures deal, the naira appreciated against the dollar by N1.09 on the NIFEX as it closed at N281.23 to a dollar yesterday, stronger than the N282.32 to a dollar it closed on Tuesday.

Also, on the parallel market, the naira ended on a positive note as it gained N4 to close at N352 to a dollar,stronger than the N356 to a dollar it closed on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the central bank yesterday confirmed that it

had been discussing with members of the Association of Bureau De Change of Nigeria (ABCON) on how to accommodate the currency dealers in the new forex regime.

Deputy Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, CBN, Mr. Anthony Ikem, made this known while speaking at an interactive session on the flexible exchange rate policy in Lagos yesterday.

Ikem said the operators’ proposal to participate at the interbank market was under consideration.

According to him, the central bank recognises the BDC sub-sector as a critical segment of the market and so was working on how to accommodate them in the new forex regime.

He urged the bureau de change operators to exercise patience, saying the CBN was aware of the challenges confronting the sub-sector.

He added: “The CBN is asking the BDCS to exercise patience. The New policy is still being tested to see how it would be later.Even as the policy is being tested, the CBN still understands the role of the BDCs in the country. They are still relevant in the scheme of the affairs of the country.”

Earlier in his presentation, the Acting President, ABCON, President, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, appealed to the CBN to restore and enforce the self-regulatory status of ABCON and to develop a framework for regular training for BDCs.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 • T H I S D AY

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NEWS

Lawyer Withdraws Suit Seeking Buhari’s Disqualification for Lack of Certificate His life allegedly threatened Davidson Iriekpen A legal practitioner, Mr. Nnamdi NwokochaAhaaiwe, has filed a notice at the Federal High Court in Abuja to discontinue the suit he instituted seeking the disqualification of President Muhammadu Buhari for lack of certificate.

Nwokocha-Ahaaiwe had alleged that Buhari was not qualified to aspire for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because he did not sit for the Cambridge West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1961 as he claimed.

The notice of discontinuance dated June 27 and obtained by THISDAY, read: “Take note that the plaintiff in this originating summons, Nnamdi Nwokocha-Ahaaiwe, hereby discontinues this action.”

THISDAY checks revealed that following the withdrawal of the suit from court, the trial judge, Justice Ademola Adeniyi will today sit and accordingly strike out the case.

Though NwokochaAhaaiwe did not give any reason for withdrawing the case from court, THISDAY gathered that it might not be unconnected with alleged threats to his life and members of his family.

In an interview with

THISDAY last month, Nwokocha-Ahaaiwe had alleged that there were some subtle threats on him to withdraw the case from court.

He had said: Of course, I am concerned and my family and friends are too; I am not naïve and some subtle threats have already been made. For now it is small comfort that if anything happens to me, even if disguised as an accident or anything, Nigerians will know exactly who is responsible.

“In any case, it was Professor Wole Soyinka, I think, who once said in one of his books that ‘The Man Dies in Him Who Keeps Quiet in The Face of Tyranny’ or something of the sort.

Speaking of which, I am amazed at the conspiracy of silence by Nigerians. It is astounding is it not, that in the light of this very apparent rape of our constitution, laws, indeed the very essence of our democracy, all of our civil society advocates and activists have gone deaf and dumb in the face of tyranny.

“All those voluble persons (and I don’t want to name them; they know themselves and Nigerians know them too), who pretend they are activists or keepers of the moral conscience of the nation astonishingly can’t see or appreciate what is happening. This country

NLC, NECA Withdraw Picketing Notice on Six Commercial Banks Await FG’s tripartite meeting Paul Obi in Abuja In a move to douse tension in the banking sector, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have withdrawn its earlier notice to picket some of the commercial banks engaged in the mass sack of workers.

NLC’s decision to shelve the planned picketing came on the heels of a stakeholders meeting proposed by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, likely to take place first week of July 2016.

NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, told journalists yesterday in Abuja that “they decided to halt action because the affected banks had not officially carried out the redundancy and had given the assurance that all the processes of the law would be followed before carrying out any such exercise.

Labour had planned to disrupt the operations of six commercial banks, namely Fidelity Bank, Diamond Bank, First City Monument Bank, First Bank, Ecobank and Skye Bank over the issue of mass retrenchment and redundancy in the banking sector on June

15,2016.

Wabba, at a joint press briefing with the Director General of NECA, Abiodun Oshinowo, yesterday in Abuja, stated that the National Union of Banks, Insurance, and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFE) including other affiliate unions had informed the NLC headquarters of the extent of its engagement with the affected banks on the contentious issues.

He said the meeting “dwelt on the process, the procedure and the position of law on the declaration of redundancy, non unionisation of workers and the payment of protection fees by some of the banks and agreed that the issues be taken to the federal government’s meeting for resolution.

Oshinowo, on his part observed that “NECA and the NLC came to a compromise that employers wanting to retrench workers must respect the rights of workers as enshrined in Section 20 of the Labour Act. He maintained that “it was also the decision of the meeting that employers who had carried out retrenchments without following due procedure should ensure that the right thing was done.”

really misses Chief Gani Fawehinmi; he was the only fearless, credible, true and

genuine conscience of the nation, not the pretenders we have today; all the others

only make noise when it suits them and their interests but look the other way once they

are compromised. None of us today, can tie Gani’s shoe-laces.”

WE HAVE DONE OUR PART

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun (left), receiving the report of the party’s Appeal Committee for Edo State Governorship Primary Election headed by Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele (middle) at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja...yesterday. With them is a member of the committee, Alhaji Mustapha Salisu

FG Suspends West African Ventures from Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry Ejiofor Alike The federal government has suspended West African Ventures (WAV) from participating in ongoing and future tenders in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry for violating the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010, better known as the Nigerian Content Act. The government has also directed ExxonMobil Companies in Nigeria, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Total E&P, Addax Petroleum and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to stop doing business with the company because of their frequent and flagrant disregard of the provisions of the NOGICD Act. WAV is a provider of offshore engineering, procurement, fabrication, installation and vessel charter services in the oil and gas industry.

THISDAY however gathered that the company allegedly violated the Nigerian Content law and also frustrated President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts to build local capacity in the oil and gas industry and create jobs for Nigerians.

In the letters addressed to each of the managing directors of the international oil companies (IOCs), the acting Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Daziba Patrick Obah informed the IOCs that WAV had failed to respond to the agency’s notices with adequate evidence to show compliance to the Nigerian Content Act. In his letter to the Managing

Director of ExxonMobil Companies in Nigeria, comprising Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited and Esso Exploration & Production Nigeria Limited, Obah said in view of WAV’s fragrant abuse of Nigerian laws, the agency had no option than to initiate sanctions against the company.

The letter with reference number NCDMB/ES/18/16 also directed ExxonMobil to suspend consideration of WAV in ongoing and future tendering processes with immediate effect.

The NCDMB also sent similar letters to Chevron Nigeria Limited with reference number: NCDMB/ES/17/16 dated June 9, 2019, as well as Addax, Agip and Total.

The President of the company, Mr. Jacques Roomans, was outside the country and messages sent to him by THISDAY seeking the company’s official response were returned undelivered.

When contacted, the Secretary to the President, Mr. Johnson Mgbemena, told THISDAY that the Company Secretary would provide official response but no response was received despite several reminders.

However, an official of the company, who was not authorised to speak on the matter told THISDAY that the company was collaborating with NCDMB to address the issues.

A source at NCDMB also accused WAV of gross violations of Sections 28, 33 and 41 (2) of the NOGICD Act 2010 and deploying non-compliant assets and expatriates.

According to him, the company is flooded with expatriates who do not have

approvals from the board and whose roles can easily be performed by Nigerians.

Buhari Makes Case for Agriculture Tobi Soniyi in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja called on all Nigerians to embrace agriculture to ensure that Nigeria would be able to feed itself in a few years.

The president, who spoke during the breaking of Ramadan fast with traditional rulers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, appealed to the royal fathers to encourage their followers to cultivate the lands available to them.

He said: “We must in few years time, at most, be able to feed ourselves. You should therefore encourage your followers to get ready and grow enough food to feed ourselves. Tell our people who have lands to cultivate them even if it is to feed their family only.”

Buhari noted that he assumed office at a difficult time in the history of the country with security and economic challenges.

While saying that his administration was making progress in the area or security, he said the economic challenge was caused by the neglect of the agriculture sector for oil.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Mohammed Said Abubakar

III, in his vote of thanks, urged all Nigerians to protect the integrity of all because God was not wrong when he put everybody together in the country.

He said those beating the drum of division would fail.

He said the nation would overcome its current challenges in the nearest future with commitment from all.

While praying for God’s guidance and good health for the President as he leads the country, the Sultan said it was the duty of Nigerians to continue to pray for all leaders and the country for the desired peace.

“The traditional rulers council will continue to support the president in his drive to leave a legacy that future generation will be proud of,” he promised.

Those who attended the event included the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II; Sultan of Sokoto, Said Abubakar III; Etsu Nupe, Yahaya Abubakar; Gbom Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba; Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe; Osemawe of Ondo, Oba Victor Kiladejo; Olu of Ilaro and paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016

COMMENT

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

ASSAULT ON DEMOCRACY AND RULE OF LAW

O

Mohammed Abdulrazaq argues that the trial of the Senate President and his deputy for forgery falls within executive impunity

ur democracy is under attack and it might collapse irredeemably unless Nigerians rise up to defend it.

Democracy should not just be a white elephant project where those entrusted with leadership positions hide to perpetuate illegality and acts injurious to the people. The historic event that took place in Britain last week comes to mind as one ponders the type and manner of democracy we have chosen to practice in this country. The British people have just voted to be independent of the European Union (EU) after 43 years of membership.

Giving effect to democracy and expressed wish of the people, Prime Minister David Cameron has resigned his position and fixed his exit date for October, in deference to the finer principles of democracy which overwhelms every other opinion under the expressed wish of the majority.

However, there is much ado in our country even though we pretend to practice democracy. Institutions are not allowed to work but the selfish machinations of those holding the levers of power. Why is it that our governance is always coloured and seen through the prism of individual leaders rather than being sustained by the modern ethos and ethics of democratic governance? Why is it so difficult for the executive to allow the other arms of government to operate independently as granted them by the constitution? Why has the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, chosen to prefer criminal charges against the presiding officers of the 8th Senate on a matter that is wholly internal to the Senate? Why has the executive invaded the arena of the Senate, apparently, to forcefully dismantle the leadership the senators elected to lead it at their inauguration? Why is the executive out to enfeeble the institution of the legislature and the judiciary by constantly harassing and intimidating them? There are instances where judicial officers have been blackmailed through online publications so that they can rule in a particular way.

The arraignment and trial of the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu fell squarely within this new template of executive impunity and using the judiciary to settle political scores. The facts of the case to me are clear enough even though I am not a lawyer. Nigerians and members of the international community know that some lawmakers, on behalf of the Senate Unity Forum (SUF), who championed the failed bid of Senator Ahmed Lawan to emerge Senate President petitioned the police, alleging forgery of the Senate Standing Rules 2015 that produced Saraki and Ekweremadu. Following the petition, the police in July 2015, invited former Senate President, David Mark, his former Deputy, Ekweremadu, ex-Senate Leader, Senator Victor NdomaEgba, Chairman of the Rules and Business Committee in the 7th Senate and now Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, former Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, Benedict Efeturi and one other person for questioning. It is worthy of note that both the presiding and principal officers of the 7th Senate so invited never honoured the invitation of the police, save for the public servants in the person of Maikasuwa and Efeturi who honoured the invitation and made statements to the police. The police concluded its investigation and sent it to the AGF to determine whether what happened in the chambers of the National Assembly on June 9, 2015, was subject to prosecution.

One thing is clear. The present case of forgery is a new phase in the unholy crusade to cow the National Assembly and make it of no effect, even though the institution represents the live wire of our democracy.

This is because there is no denying the fact that the emergence of Saraki as Senate president of the 8th Senate is the raison daitre for his ongoing persecution cum prosecution over alleged false asset declaration or forged Senate rules. It must be noted that the AGF cannot deny being an interested party in the instant case for which he is the prosecutor-in-chief, by virtue of his being one of the counsels to the members of the Senate Unity Forum that petitioned the police and also instituted a case before he was appointed minister.

Again, before the AGF was appointed, the Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) ‘suddenly discovered discrepan-

THE PRESENT CASE OF FORGERY IS A NEW PHASE IN THE UNHOLY CRUSADE TO COW THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND MAKE IT OF NO EFFECT, EVEN THOUGH THE INSTITUTION REPRESENTS THE LIVE WIRE OF OUR DEMOCRACY

cies’ in the asset declaration forms filed by Saraki about 13 years ago for which he is currently undergoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). Besides, the executive and certain elements in the APC who are apparently miffed by the revelations emanating from the CCT which clearly underscores the claims of the Senate president that he is being persecuted for political reasons, have now made a detour and dusted a report which has been with the AGF for over a year, and suddenly got busy and arraigned Saraki, Ekweremadu and a select few at an FCT High Court over allegations of forgery.

Apparently sensing that the spurious allegations against the Senate President to the effect that there were irregularities in his asset declaration forms have continued to cave in as the prosecution witness is being cross-examined, the executive has again cooked up allegations against the Senate president to the effect that he partook in forging the Senate Standing Orders by which the 8th Senate was inaugurated. To make it credible, it has decided to join Ekweremadu, Maikasuwa and Efeturi in the suit.

If not, is it not curious that some of the officials of the 7th Senate expressly mentioned in the police invitation were missing in the current charge before the FCT High Court? Do we need to consult a star gazer to know that David Mark was the Senate President of the 7th Senate?

Even kindergarten pupils know that Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba was the Senate Leader of the 7th Senate and that Senator Ita Enang was the Chairman Business and Rules Committee in the 7th Senate. While are these names missing in the forgery charge?

To show the eagerness with which the executive want to get at Saraki by initiating this kangaroo trial, it is pertinent to note that never a time was the name of Saraki mentioned in the report of the police that purportedly investigated a matter they were not legally competent to investigate being that they are direct agents of the executive and further precluded from interfering in the internal matters of any other arm of government, that is in climes where the sanctity of the doctrine of separation of powers is respected and given effect. I think Nigerians and world leaders must also interrogate why Saraki was never invited by the police to make a statement before the charges were filed. Yet the police swore to an affidavit that it had concluded investigation on the matter. The proposed trail by all intent and purposes is a clear violation of the constitution and Section 379 (1) (a) (iv) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 which stipulates that for a competent charge to be filed, it SHALL contain copies of the statements of the defendants.

For the avoidance of doubt, the police buttressed the argument that the case against Saraki and Ekweremadu is meant to achieve political ends, albeit, through the back door, in its letter dated June 7, 2016 and addressed to the clerk of the National Assembly. The letter among others, put a capital lie to claims by the AGF and his hirelings that the Senate president and others are arraigned over allegations of forgery of Senate Rules. The letter signed by an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) James O. Caulrick, with the title: “1st reminder, Letter of invitation, Re: Forgeries/Fraudulent use of the Senate Standing Order/ Rules 2015 (As Amended) by the 8th Senate” read as follows: “I refer you the Deputy Inspector-General of Police’s letter no. CR:3000/X/ FHQ/ABJ/VOL.185/98, dated July 1, 2015 requesting the under- listed officials of the 7th Senate to report to the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department for the purpose of conducting investigation on the above subject matter: i. Senate President ii. Deputy Senate President iii. Majority Leader of the Senate iv. Clerk of the National Assembly v.

Clerk of the Senate vi. Chairman, Business and Rules Committee and vii. Secretary, Business and Rules Committee. As at the time of writing this letter, none of the officials in the above 7th Senate list honoured the invitation to respond to the allegations, except the Clerks of the National Assembly and that of the Senate. Consequent upon the above, you are kindly requested to inform the listed officials yet to respond to report to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department on 9th June, 2016 for the purpose of further investigation on the matter.”

Abdulrazaq wrote from Anyigba, Kogi State

DEATH OF BRIDGET AGBAHIME

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The perpetrators of the crime should be brought to justice, argues CC Derek Ekpe

rs Bridget Agbahime was lynched by a mob of Muslims in Kano, Nigeria for allegedly desecrating their religion. There are several issues here the least important, and probably the most distracting, being the role of President Muhammadu Buhari in the aftermath of the unfortunate criminal act.

While every sane and well-meaning Nigerian should expect the president to condemn the act and vow to bring the perpetrators to justice (and from the little I have read he has done that already), it should be more formality than a trigger for action of the wheels of justice.

Ordinarily this story should be met with outrage from all groups: religious, political, ethnic… and the police and court system should swing into immediate action to capture the perpetrators and begin the necessary legal process—with or without an official statement from the president. However it is being sensationalised by many who try to draw unnecessary political parallels to discredit Buhari’s government. Now do I think Buhari is doing a great

job as president; absolutely not, but I also think it is very distasteful and disrespectful to the family of the deceased to use her death as political fodder. One of the first rumours I heard was that the lady was beheaded, then that got refuted (not that it mitigates her death in any way, but the act of beheading a human being, in my opinion, is super-medieval and exponentially gruesome when discussing the crime of murder). Conversely, some other fellows are trying to create a nexus between this woman’s murder and other acts of violence throughout the country probably with the intention of watering down the implications of this action or to show that this sort of barbarism is not unique and limited to extremists of Islamic extraction. I think it is disrespectful to inject other societal maladies when trying to specifically address a particular heinous crime. It is akin to being reminded of the dead in an accident when a survivor complains about the lack of medical attention or being told to be grateful for not being a vagrant when a hungry child asks the parent for food.

It is not the job of law abiding Muslims to answer

for the criminal acts of other members of their faith every time an act of terrorism is committed and linked to Islam. But by the same token law abiding Muslims should understand that it is not the job of followers of other faith to research the idiosyncrasies that might exist within Islam that may explain the actions of the factions that espouse killing of “infidels”, hence the unfortunate disdain for the entire religion from a certain population of non-Muslims.

It is a dark period for a family that lost a mother, sister and daughter. I have no idea what has or has not been done by the government of Kano State and Nigeria at large to bring the responsible persons to book but that is where the focus should lie—not on Buhari’s fit (or the lack thereof) for Aso Rock, I believe there are a plethora of forums for that, just not here. A crime of murder was committed (I don’t want to classify it as a “hate crime” or “terrorist act”, because it really isn’t as important if the punishment for murder applies regardless of the choice of sinister motivation) and the responsible parties have their images floating around on the web; some, if not all, of them should have been arrested by now.

Finally on the subject of calling every Muslim who kills another human being “in the name of Allah”, “misguided”, I have always had a problem with that. We cannot dismiss these people as being crazy or illiterate or miseducated or whatever term we choose to make them the outlier. The numbers are simply too large to ignore. Some of them are clerics and scholars and many of them are of sound mind and intellect. The question that the brave have to ask is; could there actually be some doctrine in the Islamic Holy Book that sanctions the wanton killing of another human being? If there is, then there is a greater task for well-meaning Muslims to undertake.

Hey, Christians, many anyway, have had to come to grips with some of the parts of the Bible that secular laws have controverted. However if there truly is no verse that preaches these nasty acts of violence then it is an even more difficult task to tackle—maybe then we, non-Muslims, should truly feel sorry for the fraction of Muslims who truly abhor these criminal acts performed in the name of their beloved religion… just not as sorry as I feel for the victim and her family.

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016

EDITORIAL TACKLING MALNUTRITION IN CHILDREN

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Government needs to step up its poverty eradication and wealth creation programmes

he grim picture of the state of malnutrition in the country was painted last week by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Using Jigawa State as a reference, the UNICEF Chief Nutritionist, Mr. Arjan De-Wagt, told the state governor, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, that 600,000 out of 1.1 million children under the age of five in the state were stunted as a result of malnutrition. This is a report that should ginger the authorities to act quickly.

According to the chief nutritionist, who blamed the situation on poor exclusive breast feeding which is the most effective means of preventing malnutrition, about 32,000 of the malnourished children between the ages of six months and 59 months and some 165,000 other severely malnourished children in the state are likely to die this year if left without treatment.

A study by the nutrition division, family health department of Federal Ministry of Health revealed that with over 11 million stunted children, Nigeria is facing a crisis of malnutrition and ranks second behind India among all countries FOR EFFECTIVE HEALTH with the highest AND SOCIAL PROTECTION, number of stunted MOTHERS MUST BE children. The study ENCOURAGED TO ADOPT further showed that EXCLUSIVE BREAST each year, about one FEEDING FOR THEIR million Nigerian BABIES IN THE INITIAL SIX children die before MONTHS OF THEIR LIVES their fifth birthday and malnutrition contributed to nearly half of these deaths.

Meanwhile, almost 30 per cent of Nigerian children are underweight, meaning they don’t weigh enough for their age. This is more than double the number of children in Ghana who are underweight.

It is noteworthy that the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning earlier this year organised a one-day stakeholders dialogue on the Reviewed National Policy on Food and Nutrition, where the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said the federal government was taking steps to address the issue. While we await the

Letters to the Editor

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release of the reviewed policy, we urge governments at various levels to take urgent remedial measures to deal with this clearly unacceptable state of malnutrition in the country.

Since malnutrition arises largely from hunger, government needs to step up its poverty eradication and wealth creation programmes so that as more people have access to cash, they would be able to afford the nutritious food required for proper growth, particularly among children.

I T H I S DAY

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T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOlA BEllO, KAYODE KOMOlAfE, ISRAEl IWEGBU, EMMANUEl EfENI, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR OlUfEMI ABOROWA DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS pETER IWEGBU, fIDElIS ElEMA, MBAYIlAN ANDOAKA, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS HENRY NWACHOKOR, SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOlA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI GENERAL MANAGER pATRICK EIMIUHI GROUP HEAD fEMI TOlUfASHE ART DIRECTOR OCHI OGBUAKU II DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

n the meantime, it would be necessary for government to raise awareness about the country’s silent crisis of malnutrition. Nigerians need to know about proper dieting and the value of breast feeding. From whichever angle one looks at the situation, it depicts a clear failure of government at practically all levels in our country. But now, we need a road map consisting of clear roles and responsibilities for the various stakeholders, as well as implementable strategies, with milestones for mainstreaming nutrition into agriculture, fortifying basic foods with essential minerals or vitamins, mobilising communities for action on growing more beneficial foods, and the perils of malnutrition and not meeting any of the enumerated indicators.

For effective health and social protection, mothers must be encouraged to adopt exclusive breast feeding for their babies in the first six months of their lives.

Thereafter, complementary feeding can be introduced for 24 months, then the consumption of various nutrients such as Vitamin A, iodized salt and zinc, among others.

Nigerians, as a minimum, deserve a life free from hunger, in a country so blessed with arable land and natural resources. Unfortunately, both poverty and hunger continue to saturate our country’s landscape.

Hunger is both a cause and consequence of poverty, as people on low incomes tend to have worse diets, while people who lack adequate nutrition struggle harder to extricate themselves from poverty. Therefore, our governments at practically all levels need to sit up and confront malnutrition with resolute decisiveness if the future of our children is to be secure.

TO OUR READERS Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (9501000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

COUP RUMOURS AND ALL THAT

ike a whirlwind, the story of a coup d’etat being planned by the military to overthrow this present administration was greeted with much fixation as well as hoopla. This is not surprising as two generations of Nigerians are witnesses to the ugly story of military interventions in our politics. This has largely given credence to the fact that we as a people surely understand that sometimes the worst civilian administration is always better than the best military regime.

On getting the news, I quickly searched and found that except in the early stages of the Obasanjo administration in1999 the fear of a military coup has never been as strong as the fear today.

I talk about the fear today not because this administration isn’t doing well, nor has it committed any major offences to warrant an unconstitutional takeover. (Nothing warrants such). This fear is however germane owing to a number of collective factors.

The first factor is history, which has shown that any administration no matter how people oriented and saintly it looks can be overthrown. Leaders like Aguiyi-Ironsi, George Arbenz of Guatemala or Salvador Allende surely fit this bill; even President Buhari can attest to this fact when the likes of Ibrahim Babangida and co. drummed up a number of reasons to oust him and Idiagbon from power on August 27, 1985. To think otherwise is naive. All it does take is a group of people with an interest; whether good or bad depends on how they, you and others see it, willing compatriots and deep pockets to finance the move and

voila! Now, Nigeria has always been a country of various interest groups and these groups would naturally do anything to preserve their hold on the country.

The second factor is the war against corruption and impunity.

A close look at the way the country is being run now will make the feasibility of a coup by a disgruntled set of persons very strong. For once in the history of this country, impunity seems to be on the retreat, governance has now become boring with no room for a few to feed fat on the commonwealth of this nation.

A large number of our big men whose source of wealth looked questionable are now getting perplexed about the country’s present scenario. This situation is akin to 1985 where the Buhari/ Idiagbon administration in its attempt to rid the country of corruption and indiscipline were shoved aside with the help of these big men.

The third factor is the state of the nation. Admittedly, all seems not to be too rosy for country at this present point in time. The economy is not in a really good shape and the unity of this country seems to be cracking at every given point. These factors may be reasons why the alleged coup in the making is making the rounds and while we must not lay the blame on the economic situation or the unity of this country on this administration, a number of officers might as well choose to use these factors as their core reasons.

The fourth factor will likely be the existence of fifth columnists in this administration and the damage some of these fifth

columnists can inflict on the this administration. Much as I cannot spell all out now, it will interest anyone to know that several acts of sabotage are being effected by these fifth columnists to make this administration look bad. Dissatisfied with the style of this present day administration, certain elements may decide to work against the collective interest of Nigerians, giving the people the impression that the government is inept, tyrannical, etc., this will obviously give the jackboots enough to stake the coup to moral and righteous reasons.

Now whilst commending the army for its immediate dismissal and promised investigation into the allegation, I wish to point out to the military authorities that coup plots do not involve the whole of the military. It is usually carried out by a small number of officers and soldiers. The military authorities may have no knowledge or plans of a coup, this however does not absolve the military as whole.

This write up therefore serves as a clarion call to all Nigerians to be eternally vigilant in order to preserve our democracy.

We as a people still live with some of the physical as well as psychological relics following 28 years of the military’s adventure into politics and cannot afford a repeat of such. Our democracy possesses institutions, men and laws to put a check to any excesses. Now, if all these failed and I doubt they all will, we must remember that there is also the chance of removing leaders from office through the ballot box.

Igboeli Arinzechukwu, Abuja

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THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016

POLITICS

Group Politics Editor Olawale Olaleye Email wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com 08116759819 SMS ONLY

THE PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

Usani: Buhari Not Marginalising Niger Delta Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Usani Uguru has been passionate about the plight of the region, even before his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In this interview, he spoke on development issues in the region and the circumstances leading to the recent upsurge in militancy. Adams Abonu brings the excerpts: now produce agriculturally in all facets. Again, the rate of pollution and its consequences can now be controlled and the people could access underground water.

You have been on the job for an upward of seven months now, how would you describe your experience?

Well, it has been quite an experience but we are adept to the needs of the position. Remember that some of us have been in the struggle to have government impact on the people for more than twenty six years now and this makes it possible to come to the job with knowledge of what is required for delivery.

In terms of application of skills and knowledge, the experience has been quite fulfilling but we are not there yet. It is an unfolding experience that allows for additional learning on the job.

The administration is giving us leverage to succeed and I believe the experience would be worth the while.

Have there been specific areas of challenges?

Every job comes with challenges, though the challenges of our assignment revolve around human attitude. Each person applies himself on the basis of this perception and understanding of a situation and this are the challenges. Because some people tend to be stereotyped in their perceptions and this affects their action; they tend to believe, erroneously, that there cannot be new grounds to be broken.

The combined effect of the misconstrued perception and short-sighted understanding of government’s policies and plans constitute a stumbling block to our assignment but we understand the circumstances. The other challenges which are physical in nature are general. The circumstances of our being as a government remain very peculiar. This is a government struggling to tap water from desert sand and these tend to challenge government’s noble intentions. But every challenge is surmountable and we have a government with a leader, who is determined to meet these challenges.

Would you say the Niger Delta region has a sense of belonging in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and how has your office mobilised the people to key into the promises of the administration?

I will start from the latest by referring to the recent town hall meetings we had in parts of the Niger Delta region. You will notice that there was a bit of an uproar at our meeting in Uyo (Akwa Ibom State) because of an unfortunate incident that eventuality emanated from political connotation of what was going on. Several people in the Niger Delta have not come to terms with the fact that when we talk of change and people accept it – it means there was something we needed to change from. Change is a movement to another direction.

A lot of the silent majority of the people of the Niger Delta and Nigerians in general quite agree with what we are doing and they form an integral part of this movement to a better direction. Despite the fact that people appreciate that things are tough, there is hope. But getting the entire people of the Niger Delta, whose majority of the opinion moulders have taken quite an unfortunate position in assessing this administration demands tact and virtues.

One of the issues observed at the town hall meetings was insinuations being made that the South-south, or by extension the Niger Delta region is being deliberately short-circuited in the advantages of government and this is not correct. The most unfortunate aspect of it is that they want to blame it on the president out of sheer mischief. A rational assessment would be that this is a president that has done just a year in office and we had a South-south

How has your ministry ensured that International Oil Companies (IOCs) meet environmental standards in the region and attend to the immediate needs of their host communities?

When you look at our mandate at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, one of the objectives is complementing the IOCs to achieve certain social and economic goals for the region. Recently, we had a meeting with Chevron and others.

In doing this, there is an ongoing process, a trust fund for the region, which also engages the oil companies. We also have the obligation to ensure that the oil companies live up to their social responsibilities.

Let’s also bear in mind that some of the recent negative developments in the region also have their consequences in the present economic situation. For example, if AGIP or Chevron is no longer producing as much as a result of bombings of their installations, then there is a limit to which you can put pressure on them.

Usain...we have not derailed from the Niger Delta agenda

president for six years.

Any assessment should be juxtaposed with these indices before we conclude who has unfairly marginalised who. Meanwhile, an administration that has from the region, two of the service chiefs (with Police IG Solomon Arase retiring), Head of Service of the Federation, ministers of strategic ministries including petroleum, transport, budget and national planning and others, would one still suggest that such administration has any intents on marginalising anybody? The political connotations often given to things are just a mirage meant to blackmail. A majority of the people in the region has a good sense of belonging with this government and our plans are on course.

Mobilising the people of the region is what the administration intends to achieve through demonstrating sincere intents by development strides. We have the rail projects to connect the people of the region with the rest of Nigeria; we have the coastal road projects, and we are doing all that is required to improve the lots of the people of Nigeria.

Even without capital budgetary releases, projects targeted at the people are already going on. In the last two months, we have given out starter soft-credits for 130 persons to start their agro businesses and many more of such are in the pipeline. Mobilisation is to be achieved by performance and not through brigandage that is rife in our political terrain.

There has been a resurgence of militancy recently in the Niger Delta, how do you situate this development?

The militancy situation confirms the fact that I am saying it is a mindset, because the issues of militancy today cannot be positioned on the genuine agitations of the people of the Niger

Delta. Assuming there is any genuine agitation in this direction and this also includes damaging the very environment and destroying the land, where the people grow their crops to live.

The militancy is spoiling the very environment that should be used for profitable economic engagement. How do you engage government by violence which in my view is protesting a political system that does not favour criminality?

What effort is the government making in meeting the demands of the militants, who have expressed readiness for dialogue?

We are a responsible government that would keep to any agreement reached on realistic grounds. Except some elements in the region accept that we are hurting ourselves and how persuaded we are to allow development to take place in our land. It is upon this realisation that the sustenance of any agreement could be achieved.

President Buhari recently launched the cleanup of Ogoniland in accordance with UNEP Report, is there adequate political commitment to this project?

The positive index of that project was the reception that was given to it by the people themselves as this has been their long term agitation. Therefore, the Ogoni people are conscious of what they used to have in a normal environment and what they now have by economic losses and the impact in health and social sectors.

What is going to happen is to once again restore the natural habitat so the people could practice agriculture which is the primary occupation of the people. This is where government is most committed and the Ogoni people are expecting improved economic fortunes because they will

The amnesty programme of the federal government is expected to wind down in 2018, how is your ministry looking at managing the post-Amnesty era for the region?

The amnesty programme was occasioned by the militancy in the region which has always been on except that the intensities differ. While the amnesty programme takes care of the militants, the Ministry of Niger Delta takes care of the non-militants because there is nothing to suggest that except you become militant you do not deserve government attention.

What we are doing is to engage the youths by taking care of the winding down of the programme so that people will have the right attitude and space to be accommodated. We are partnering development organisations and the federal Ministry of Youths and Sports for wide scale training and engagement. We have up to four centres to carry out vocational trainings and give the right equipping for self-development of individuals.

There is needed synergy with the Niger Delta Development Commission and your ministry to better the lots of the people. Tell us what specific areas in this direction you are working at?

There are areas of synergy between us and NDDC. One of those areas is the review of development plans and actions. Anything we do as a ministry, we engage or involve the NDDC at the policy level. Apart from mainstreaming development, we also have a responsibility of policy coordination among all intervening agencies.

Where do you see the Niger Delta region in the next three years of President Buhari’s administration?

In terms of development attempts, very far, in terms of government policy and infrastructure distribution, it is uncertain. This is because for policy to be implemented and infrastructure developed, there must be space to do that and insecurity limits such space. But I can assure Nigerians and particularly the people of Niger Delta that the development of the region is a crucial priority for us as a government and President Buhari is most committed to this direction.

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016

INTERVIEW

‘I Won’t Leave APC if Tinubu, Osoba are in’ A prominent member of the APC in Ogun State, Chief Bode Mustapha, in this interview with Femi Ogbonnikan, said despite his disappointment about a few things in the party, he would remain there for as long as certain credible individuals are there too. Excerpts: How truthful is the rumour that you and some aggrieved members of the APC have concluded plans to pull out of the party for a new platform?

It is all a lie. If I am happy welcoming Chief Olusegun Osoba back to the APC, why should I pull out? One thing that is important to me is my belief. I am a progressive. As long as the APC remains a progressive party, of course, I would stay in the APC. If the APC moves away from being progressive, I will have no choice than to move away from the party. But as it is today, the party remains a progressive party.

Where you find the likes of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who I know very well; he puts a lot in the NADECO days to fight for this democracy because I also happened to be in exile also for about nine months. And we all knew his (Tinubu) activities while in exile. And the people like him and we have the like of Chief Olusegun Osoba too, who almost got killed in the Abacha days, which again, I was privy to.

I know very well what happened at that time. If they are in that party, I will stay in that party because they are true progressives and they have cut their teeth at being progressives. I have to admit that due to being led astray as a result of misinformation and other reasons, I might have been tempted to go over to the conservative fold to vent my anger, but see what is happening with the PDP. I thank my stars. It was best decision to leave when we did because they don’t have the interest of the masses at heart

Mustapha

at all.

But what could have informed this so-called rumour?

I don’t know. People can say whatever they like. At times, some have even carried rumours that I am dead or that somebody did this or somebody died but I think they are simply rumour mongers.

Do you subscribe to the clamour for the shift of power to Ogun West, which has never produced a governor since the creation of the state 40 years ago in 2019?

I support them 150 per cent. You see, if

you want to go into equity, you go with clean hands. As an Egba man, I will never have accepted, if since the creation of this state 40 years ago, if an Egba person had not been governor. From Egba, we have had an elected governor. We have Chief Olusegun Osoba, who is from Egba. We now have the incumbent, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who is from Egbaland from Ogun East.

I don’t believe in anything called RIYE (Remo, Ijebu, Yewa and Egba). There is nothing called RIYE. To me, it is a scam. The constitution recommends three senatorial districts. Ogun East senatorial district has produced Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, of blessed memory, and it has produced Otunba Gbenga Daniel, but Ogun West has never produced a governor of this state. Why should they not produce the next governor?

I am a believer in Ogun West getting the governorship slot. And God sparing our lives, whatever it takes me to give them support, whatever little support, I can give them, I will give to them.

An area that has produced the likes of the late Chief Jonathan Odebiyi, the late Dr. Tunji Otegbeye, Dr. Samuel Ayinde Ibikunle, Chief (Mrs) Ebun Oyagbola, the late Prof Abimbola Olabimtan, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, Prof Anthony Asiwaju and many more. Do you want to say they don’t have capable people? Please, nobody should claim monopoly of knowledge. Our senatorial district, Ogun Central, and Ogun East should please not play at having a monopoly of knowledge.

Are you saying if Ogun West candidate emerges in the 2019 governorship contest, you would throw your total support to the candidate, regardless of where he or she is coming from?

First of all, I would analyse who the person is. You see, you can’t just jump into bed with any person. Therefore, I would have to analyse the person first. I would discuss with him. How is he going to rule this state?

What is to become of the political class under him? Are they to be marginalised as we have noticed in this state? Is he going to come back and tell us, yes I am bringing technocrats from London and United States of America or from Canada?

Or is it those people who offered to work for him that will be recognised and work with him? What is his stake in respect of the party, because what I am trying to say is that we should respect the party? So, he has to tell me about his stake on the issue of the party. I am not saying he should take my ideas and suggestions hook, line and sinker, but let us sit down and dialogue. And of course, some of those things, he will have to put them into writing.

What is your take on the current agitation for restructuring of the country?

I believe, definitely Nigeria needs to be restructured. I have no doubt in my mind about that everybody is asking for it.

Everybody needs it. We may not restructure immediately but we must set it in motion.

Nwosu: Buhari Fit to Rule Nigeria Chief Uche Nwosu, a former Deputy Chief of Staff, Commissioner for Lands and Survey and presently the Chief of Staff, Government House, Imo State. He bared his mind on President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent medical trip and the state of governance in Imo State. Amby Uneze presents the excerpts: President Muhammadu Buhari recently returned from London on a medical trip amidst insinuations by some Nigerians about his health and style of leadership, what is your take on his ability to handle the affairs of the nation?

Let me first of all thank God that the President is back to the country. One huge problem we have is that most Nigerians are happy when they hear that their leader is sick, which is not a good omen. If the president of United States of America is sick, the country starts praying for him. Let me say this that nobody is above sickness.

We are mortals. Headache is sickness, migraine is sickness, eye problem is a sickness, if you have running nose (catarrh) is a sickness, tooth ache is a sickness, running stomach is a sickness, so when the issue of sickness comes and instead of people saying our president went for a medical check-up and wish him well, they start to spread rumour about all sorts of things.

Do we pray for the country to be better or do we pray to run down the country? He is our president and this man, who had been working 24 hours in a week to make sure that this country gets better, we should pray for him. Nobody, even those in their 30s do fall sick and they consult their doctors. It is a normal thing. Presidents go for check-up and their countrymen and women pray for them to recover quickly, so our country, Nigeria should not be a different one.

The man is hale and hearty. He is capable of running this country, so there is no difficulty in saying that the president is

Rather we are going through a restructuring process. Remember that these are backlog of mismanagement by the previous administration of the PDP. They mismanaged our resources. You can see what is being revealed now, money meant for arms ($2.8bn) you now used it for election.

People dipped hands inside the national coffers. In other words these are monies meant for infrastructure development of the country and to fight the Boko Haram and some people shared it for their own personal aggrandisement. For me, these are the people that put the country into this mess we are experiencing now.

Nwosu

not sick, when it is the other way round.

Right now, he is back to the country and his coming back means that he is ready to move the country to a higher level. When you look at his moves you will observe that the man is very strong. You could see former President Olusegun Obasanjo those days and still he was able to go for eight years, so the president is very much fit to handle the affairs of the country right now.

The economy of the country is nosediving, though it is a global trend, Nigeria seems worst hit. Do you see the situation improving?

The Nigerian economy is not nose-diving.

With what EFCC is currently doing in the country in terms of the fight against corruption, are you satisfied with their style and effort so far?

What EFCC is doing now is the best we can have by strengthening and instilling fear in the public sector. Today, Nigerians are afraid to do shoddy dealings, especially in the public sector. Nigerians are like group of people that requires monitoring all the time, otherwise we derail. This, I think is our culture and we need to eschew this culture from our system.

A situation where you are given money to do a project and you divert that money is nothing but stealing and such person should go in for it. That was exactly the situation in the previous administration which President Buhari is changing now. We have been living with this culture all along that is why somebody like Dasuki would not have

believed that anybody would come after him over the arms deal because they had believed that it was the norm. So, the EFCC led by Ibrahim Magu is doing great job for the nation. They need to sustain the tempo.

Now that the budget has been signed into law, what are Nigerians hoping to see in terms of economic liberalisation?

To me, this years’ budget is a budget of hope because this is the first time in so many years that capital projects are allocated a lion share and the social services also have huge allocation. The social welfare alone which would take about N500 billion is the first of its kind since we had a related welfare package in the Awolowo administration of the Western region during the first republic, when children used to go to school free, eat school meals thereby relieving the parents.

And trusting President Buhari, he is not a man who will assent to a budget and stories would come along the line. He will monitor the implementation of the budget.

Nigerians will see in the next one year what is called good administration and evidence of democracy. I hope Nigerians will heave a sigh of relief in the nearest future.

The issue of school meals is not clear.

What do you know about it?

What I understood from the school meal programme of the present administration is something that will go round whether you are PDP or APC state. It will reach you because it is a federal government social welfare package for Nigerians.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 • T H I S D AY

FEATURES

Acting Features Editor Charles Ajunwa Email charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com

Osun’s Antidote for Dishonest Traders The Osun State Government recently launched standardised weighing scales known as ‘Osunwon Omoluabi’ to prevent buyers from being shortchanged by traders. Yinka Kolawole writes

Aregbesola (3rd left); his Deputy, Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori (2nd left), Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Gloria Adepele Ojo (2nd right), Olufi of Gbongan, Oba Adetoyese Oyeniyi Odugbemi (left), Akinrun of Ikirun, Oba Abdul-Rauf Adedeji (3rd right) and Oloyan of Oyan, Oba Kelani Oyediran (right), during the Official Launch of Standardised Weighing Scales at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo…recently

A

s part of its road map to make Osun a sub-regional trade hub, the Osun State Government recently inaugurated the use of standardised weighing scales in all its markets across the state. Governor Rauf Aregbesola said the move was to make the state the preferred destination for commercial activities in the sub-region. The governor noted that his administration will not relent on its goal of developing economic activities in the state.

The unveiling of the ‘Osuwon Omoluabi’, was held amidst a huge crowd of market men and women who thronged the Nelson Mandela Freedom Square in Osogbo, venue of the inauguration.

Aregbesola who said that Osogbo in the 60s and early 70s was a great centre of commerce because of the railway that passed through the city, emphasised that Osunwon Omoluabi policy is backed by law.

According to him, weights and measures constitute item 63 on the Exclusive Legislatives list of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He noted that the laws made in this regard include Weights and Measures Act CAP W3LFN, 2004, Pre-Shipment Inspection of Export Act CAP P25 LFN, 2004; Weights and Measures Standardisation of Indigenous Measures Regulations, 1992 and the Weights and Measures Fees Regulations.

He stressed that all hands must be on deck to revive the economic status of the state, adding that the state had in the past attracted sellers and buyers from neighbouring states as far as Akure in present day Ondo State, noting that only Ibadan was greater in trade

and commerce than Osogbo in the region.

According to Aregbesola, the launch of standardised weighing scales is in continuation of the provision of the infrastructure of the mind which began at the inception of his administration, when it re branded Osun as Ipinle Omoluabi.

Aregbesola stressed that Osunwon Omoluabi

In the quest to be competitive and make more profit which is greed, traders now devise varying means of short-changing buyers.

Measures are deliberately reduced through cutting, filling with candles and wax, and sleight of hand. Scales are tilted fraudulently while husks, chaffs, barks and other rubbish are included in goods sold, with the intention of reducing the actual value of what the buyers take home

policy will eliminate cheating and other underhand practices that have become the hallmark of trading in most markets.

He averred that the use of standardised scales in markets across the state will give rise to a chain of economic benefits, adding that market expansion for dealers in weighing scales is assured as the programme will increase the demand for the products.

Aregbesola assured that jobs will be created for service providers in the areas of maintenance and repair of scales, adding that 178 OYES cadets have been trained in the maintenance and repair of scales in the first phase of the Train-the-Trainers Empowerment Scheme which is an integral part of the Standardised Weighing Scales Programme.

"In the quest to be competitive and make more profit, which is greed traders now devise varying means of short-changing buyers.

Measures are deliberately reduced through cutting, filling with candles and wax, and sleight of hand.

"Scales are tilted fraudulently while husks, chaffs, barks and other rubbish are included in goods sold, with the intention of reducing the actual value of what the buyers take home.

"One of the tragedies of this immoral practice is that foreigners began to distrust our export because, for instance, cocoa graders put top grades at the top of the sack, leaving poor quality at the bottom, and in the process, collect money for the top grade.

"Those who are in the business can tell you what loss they suffered because the foreigners distrusted their products and classified all cocoa coming from our land as inferior, irrespective of the grade."

The former Commissioner for Industries, Commerce, Cooperatives and Empowerment, Mr. Ismaila Adekunle Jayeoba-Alagbada, in his opening remark said the standardised weighing scales across markets in the state became necessary to mitigate challenges noticeable in commercial transactions.

Jayeoba-Alagbada said in order to erase cheating in the process of exchange of commercial goods and checkmate other market forces challenges, government decided to formally introduce the standardised weighing scales.

According to him, training workshops had already been conducted in the markets all over the state on the effective use of the scales.

He stated that the Ministry of Industries, Commerce, Cooperatives and Empowerment is saddled with the responsibility of monitoring the day-to-day administration of the programme.

"I need to emphasise that market women and men had been fully mobilised to key into this emerging commercial revolution.

"Both the leadership and the followership of the associations of market women and men had agreed, not only to comply with the right use of the scales and measures but to continuously carry out peer reviews with a view to ensuring flawless implementation of the standardised weighing scales and measures programme.

"I want to place it on record that, but for the grace of God and the dogged determination of Mr. Governor, this launch and indeed the entire standardised scales and measures programme would have been a mirage," he said.

Jayeoba-Alagbada during a recent interaction with journalists stated that equity and justice is lacking in the continued usage of existing

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016

FEATURES

Aregbesola (3rd right); his Deputy, Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori (3rd left), Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Gloria Adepele Ojo (2nd left), Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salam (left), Iyaloja General of Osun State, Alhaja Sifahu Asindemade (2nd right) and Babaloja of Osun State, Chief David Iyiola, during the official launching of Standardised Weighing Scales at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo…recently

measuring bowls such as Kongo, Kobiowu, Denge and others adding that there is a great variation in the weights and measures used in different localities; and even at times, in those used by different individuals in the same locality.

While describing it as aberration, Jayeoba Alagbada noted that the three religions that the people of the state are practicing also frown at the use of unjust and inaccurate measures in exchange in commercial transactions.

According to him, “the use of inaccurate measures often leads to chaotic situation in most market places. Consequently, commercial transactions become laborious, unhealthy and with the attendant high transaction costs, ultimately hindering the pace of growth of trade and commerce.

He noted that the use of standardised weighing scales is backed by law and constitute items 63 on the Exclusive List of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and being made active in the state.

He hinted that the state government had consulted widely with stakeholders in trade and commerce in the state including opinion and religious leaders in the state for its use adding that the existing mode of open air display and sale of most edible items in the market places constitute grave hazard to health and wellbeing of consumers.

According to him, “most items are openly exposed to dusts, flies and many other agents of diseases. Most of the communicable diseases are as a result of the exposure of edible products to vectors carrying the causative germs.

Sometimes, nursing mothers after cleaning up their babies still use the unwashed hands to measure food items.

“Furthermore, the existing measures are based more on rule of thumbs than any degree of accuracy and consistency.

The existing measuring standards are not accurate and full of inherent shortcomings often observed by the market men and women themselves.”

He enunciated the gains of using standardising scales saying it will however eliminate all inherent shortcomings, mistrust, incessant arguments and disagreement that are currently common place in commercial transactions.

According to him, standardised scales and measures will positively impact on the economy of the state by bringing unprecedented ease to trade and commercial transactions in the state.

“This will no doubt increase the pace and volume of transactions among traders and consumers, thereby increasing the volume

Aregbesola and his Deputy, Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, during the official launch of Standardised Weighing Scales at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo…recently

of commerce. It will also attract consumers from neighbouring states who will want to to take advantage of the novel programme of standardisation of measurements in the state.

“The programme will create large number of business and employment opportunities for citizens of the state as large number of unemployed youths would acquire vocational

It is in a bid to correct the anomaly in measurement and scale that the Government of Osun introduced the standardised weighing scales in markets in the state so as to forestall fraud and cheating in measurement

training in repairs and maintenance of scales.

“People in the state will spend less on health maintenance since the new measures are health promoting, not allowing for exposure of goods to flies and dusts.”

He further explained that the fear that majority of market men and market women are illiterate and may not be easily susceptible change and accurate reading of the scales have been taken care of by the state government adding that wide sensitisation and enlightenment have been carried out.

While appealing to market men and market women and other stakeholders to key into the emerging commercial revolution in the state, the former commissioner disclosed that special weights and measures unit have been established in the ministry saddled with responsibility of monitoring day-to-day administration of the standardised weighing scales and measures programmes.

He said that 178 OYES cadets have been trained under the train the trainer programme on the use, maintenance and repairs adding that they would also man some control posts in all the market to serve both as repair and challenge-mitigating centres.

The President General of Osun State Market Women Association, Alhaja Awawu Asinde-

made, said the standardised scale became necessary owing to imbalance in measurement and fraud in commercial activities.

Asindemade said the Kongo measurement introduced to the market in the old Oyo State became the standard measurement in Osun when it was created.

According to market leader, the old measurement was gradually subjected to abuse and fraud to the extent that individual seller used his or her yardstick for measurement, thus the need to re-standardise and unify it.

She however warned that the introduction of the standard scale should not translate to increase in commodity price system in the market.

"It is in a bid to correct the anomaly in measurement and scale that the Government of Osun introduced the standardised weighing scales in markets in the state so as to forestall fraud and cheating in measurement.

"As we welcome this innovation, I call on my constituency - market men and women - to cooperate with government to make this a success.

"Besides, introduction of this weight and measurement does is not and should not lead to increase in price of commodities in our market," Asindemade said.

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IMAGES

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016

Photo Editor Abiodun Ajala Email abiodun.ajala@thisdaylive.com

L-R: A member of Guides/ Browness, Etiosa, Mrs. Temitope Lawal; Director, Tender Loving School (TLS), Ikoyi, Mrs Bunmi Egbeyemi; Deputy Chief Commissioner, Girls Guild/ Browness, Mrs Ansa Ukoh; Deputy Chief Commisioner in charge of Zone B, Etiosa Divisioner Commissioner, Mrs. Caroline Akingbesote; and pupils of TLS School, during Egbeyemi’s investiture as Matron of Guides/Browness of all schools in Etiosa Local Government...recently

L – R; Quality & Technical Coordinator, Pathcare Laboratories, winner of the 2016 Private Laboratory Service Provider of the Year Award, Dr Tolulope Adewole(left) and the award presenter, Mrs Njide Ndili at the 2016 Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award, in Lagos...recently

Chief Executive officer, Erisco Foods Limited, Mr. Eric Umeofia (right) and President Muhammadu Buhari at the Ramadan dinner with Nigerian business leaders in Abuja...recently

L-R: Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Oluranti Adebule; a former Deputy Governor, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu; Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf; and a former Deputy Governor, Alhaja Lateefat Okunnu, during a Ramadan Lecture (Tafsir), in Ikoyi...recently

L-R: President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mrs Nike Akande; Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc., Mrs Sola David-Borha; Chairman, Purple Capital Partners Ltd, Mr Olutola Mobolurin; and representative of the Lagos State governor, Mr Adeyemi Olabinjo, at the commissioning of the Stanbic IBTC-financed Maryland Mall, Lagos...recently

L-R: Commissioner for Finance, Cross River State, Mr. Asuquo Ekpenyong Jr.; Chief Executive Officer, Vine Advisory Partners Limited, Mrs Bola Allison; and Business Development Director, Vine Advisory Partners Limited, Mr Ajibola Adams, during the signing of an MoU between Cross River State and Vine Advisory Partners Limited on Communications Infrastructure Maintenance Initiative in Cross Rivers...recently

L-R: Executive Director, Wema Bank Plc, Mrs. Folake Sanu; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Wema Bank Plc, Mr. Segun Oloketuyi; Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema; and Executive Director, Wema Bank Plc, Mr. Wole Akinyele, during the NSE CEO courtesy call on Wema Bank Plc in Lagos...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016

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BUSINESSWORLD NIBOR PRIME 1-MONTH

R A T E S LOAN

4.4583% 9.1071%

3-MONTH 3-MONTH

A S

11.0102% 12.3790%

A T

NITTY 1-MONTH 2-MONTH 3-MONTH

Group Business Editor Chika Amanze-Nwachuku

Email chika.amanzenwachukwu@thisdaylive.com 08033294157

J U N E 6.9949% 7.2368% 8.0819%

1 0 ,

1-MONTH 9-MONTH 12-MONTH

2 0 1 6

9.2061% 9.5872% 10.5042%

EXCHANGE RATE N197/1US DOLLAR* *AS AT LAST FRIDAY

Quick Takes QReeda eCommerce App Debuts

Quramo Publishing Limited has introduced a new digital service called QReeda App. Qreeda is an easy to use eCommerce mobile application where users can purchase a variety of e-books. The Qreeda app aims to promote reading culture with its multiple offerings of specialised texts, historical pieces, fiction and nonfiction books and law reports, which have been published since 2002.

Quramo Publishing Limited said it recognizes the critical need for improving the reading culture and adapting to technological advancements. This is why they have provided a digital reading library that will expand access to information and create new reading opportunities for legal professionals and all Nigerians.

The reading app is not only available for books published by Quramo Publishing, but can be used as an online distributor for e-books and made available for readers in the Nigerian market.

Highlights of the app include: completely free for android and the web Easy to download and use; targeted content; concise bookstore with a selection of books for purchase; full text search; and secure and easy payment.

According to the company, the app is completely free to download and it is available on Google Play store.

OLX Partners Blockbuster Movie

BUSINESS COLLABORATION

L-R: Managing Director, Hewlett Packard Enterprise for Africa and Greece, Julien Bertin; Project Manager, Nigerian Stock Exchange(NSE), Temi Akindele; Head, Marketing Services, NSE, Ade Ewuosho and Country Manager, Hewlett Packard Nigeria Limited, Chuks Okpaka, at a cocktail organised by Hewlett Packard in Lagos...recently

NCC: New Code Will Separate Roles of Chairman and CEO Emma Okonji The new Code of Corporate Governance for the telecoms sector is targeted at separating the roles of the chairman from that of the Chief Operating Officer (CEO) of all licensed telecommunications company, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator has said.

Making the disclosure shortly after it presented a guideline for the planned mandatory code of corporate governance to telecoms operators in Lagos recently, the Commission’s Secretary, Felix Adeoye, expressed the displeasure of NCC over the activities of most telecoms operators, where their chairmen also assume the position of the

TELECOMS CEOs of the company. According to Adeoye, such situation always leave room for excessive and undue control by the same person who doubles as chairman and CEO. NCC had in 2014, introduced the voluntary code of corporate governance for the telecoms sector. Two years after it was introduced, NCC felt the need to review the code, with the aim of making its compliance mandatory for all licensed telecoms operators, with a strong desire to separate the roles of chairman from the CEO. “While compliance with the provisions of the industry code was initially made voluntary for a period of one year, which has

since elapsed, the Commission is gradually moving towards a regime of stricter compliance, where the roles of chairman and CEO will be clearly spelt out to avoid conflict of interests,” Adeoye said.

According to him, telecoms business operation requires extensive capital investment and commensurate mental capacity to cope with the dynamism of the industry. “Typically investors are comfortable with a predictable policy and regulatory regime, which allows their investments to thrive with less interventions,” he said.

He, however, added that most telecoms operators have separated the roles of their chairman from those of CEO, but explained that some

of the operators, especially the smaller operators, were yet to separate roles.

This, he said, portends great danger for the organisational structure and growth because of personal influence that may play up in the course of the business.

Adeoye said when the planned mandatory code would become effective, it would help to strengthen organisations and not to stifle their operations as widely envisaged by most telecoms operators.

Another area, which the code is also targeting, according to Adeoye, is passive board members of telecoms organisations, where such passive board Continued on page 24

Nigeria May Face Fresh Hurdle with Brexit, says Report Obinna Chima The effective implementation of a new foreign exchange mechanism and liberalisation of the fuel sector will face fresh hurdles following the United Kingdom surprise vote to exit the European Union, a report has stated.

EXX Africa, in a special report on the likely impact of Brexit on Africa, held the view that Nigeria will also struggle to attract interest in new debt sales aimed at financing its expansive budget.

Furthermore, the report argued that the main impact of a ‘Brexit’ on Nigeria would be further deterioration of the country’s already struggling

ECONOMY economy, which was caused by the fall in global oil prices and a steep drop in local crude production due to an insurgency in the Niger Delta.

It noted that there is extensive trade and security cooperation between the UK and Nigeria that would likely face several years of disruption as the UK departs from the EU. “Nigeria is the UK’s secondlargest export market in Africa.

Bilateral trade between the two countries is currently worth $8.3 billion and projected to reach $25 billion by 2020. The UK is also Nigeria’s largest source of foreign investment,

with assets worth over $1.4 billion.

Moreover, UK-Nigerian remittances account for USD21 billion a year. The UK is also one of the largest development assistance donors to Nigeria, although Nigeria is not as aiddependent as most continental counterparts.

“A slowing UK economy on the back of a departure from the EU and potential disruption as the UK renegotiates its trade agreements, would be likely to reduce trade flows, foreign direct investment, and Nigerian remittances.

There is also no guarantee that other EU countries will make up the UK shortfall in trade and investment, as other

EU countries look to Iran for more reliable access to oil and to Asia for cheaper labour,” the report stated.

On 24 June, equities listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange ended a three-day rally, falling 1.4 per cent over worries of Britain’s vote to leave the EU. Nigerian banks, such as Fidelity Bank and Zenith Bank, recorded the biggest losses.

Nigerian stocks had previously rallied 8.5 per cent after the government floated the naira and ended a highly controversial currency peg.

“As a result, new portfolio inflows will slow, which will Continued on page 24

Online classifieds site, OLX.com.ng has partnered film producer and director, Kunle Afolayan on his latest blockbuster movie The CEO for the Do It For Me (D.I.F.M) Promo.

Brand Marketing Manager at OLX, Fifemayo Aiyesimoju, who announced the partnership in Lagos recently, stated that “from June 6 to July 1, 2016, users who pay for the D.I.F.M service, stand a chance to win one of 10 VIP tickets to the star studded premiere of ‘The CEO’and one of 20 autographed DVD’s by legendary filmmaker Kunle Afolayan”.

The D.I.F.M service is a premium product that offers the use of OLX Champs, who are sales experts to help manage the entire process of selling on OLX from posting the ad to closing the deal. The benefits of booking an OLX Champ are numerous, it helps users who are worried about their privacy and do not have the luxury of time to post ads, take calls or meet with potential buyers. It also makes the process safer and more convenient for both buyers and sellers.

Aiyesimoju said: “We are happy to be able to reward our users whilst helping them earn extra cash especially with the current economic realities. This is why we are encouraging Lagosians to book an OLX Champ to help them sell new or used items they no longer need like vehicles, furniture, electronics and phones to get extra cash.”

IFA Expands Exhibition Venue

For the first time ever, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and other manufacturers will be able to present their portfolios of components, products, and latest technologies outside the ExpoCentre City main exhibition grounds to IFA Global Markets at Station Berlin.

Access to IFA Global Markets is restricted to trade visitors only, providing international distributors in particular with a useful additional opportunity to meet potential suppliers and partners in the consumer electronics and home appliances sectors face to face.

“Working in cooperation with Rising Media, we have created special areas to highlight innovations in 3D printing and robotics.

There will be two related events at Station Berlin: Inside 3D Printing, the leading exhibition on 3D printing and additive manufacturing, and RoboUniverse, the first B2B conference and exhibition for the service robot industry,” IFA said in a statement.

The first European RoboUniverse will take place between 4th and 7th September. RoboUniverse is the leading robotics conference and exhibition and offers exciting workshops, inspiring keynotes and content with advanced and actionable insights, strategies, and practical examples.The exhibition covers mobile, autonomous, and collaborative robots and advanced technology solutions.

“Consumer Protection Council(CPC)’s mandate as government agency is to regulate without strangulating business” Director General, CPC,

Mrs. Dupe Atoki

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THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 • T H I S D AY

BUSINESSWORLD NCC: NEW CODE WILL SEPARATE ROLES OF CHAIRMAN AND CEO members meet once in a year, thus making it difficult for the board members to discharge its primary oversight duties.

“It must be clearly stated that the board of any organisation occupies a strategic position in the affairs of the company and as the policy drivers of the company, it has the responsibility of ensuring compliance with the provisions of the code,” Adeoye said.

NIGERIA MAY FACE FRESH HURDLE WITH BREXIT, SAYS REPORT hamper the implementation of the country’s new foreign exchange mechanism,” the report added.

The Central Bank of Nigeria recently introduced a more flexible foreign currency policy, removing a de facto peg of around N197 to the dollar.

“The naira’s 16-month peg to the dollar had overvalued the Nigerian currency, resulted in an economic contraction, and harmed investments.

The implementation of the fuel sector liberalisation, including the termination of a burdensome state-subsidy scheme, would be likely to face implementation issues.

According to the report, “The sector’s liberalisation will add to fuel importers’ margins and will allow shipments of fuel to resume.

The liberalisation of the fuel marketing sector and the proposed introduction of a flexible exchange rate are both aimed at soothing foreign investor concerns and to attract new fundraising to finance a record budget deficit widened by a fall in oil revenues.

“The effective implementation of the new currency regime and establishing its credibility will be key to attracting new foreign direct investment and portfolio flows. Beyond trade and investment, the UK is also a key partner in Nigerian security.

Group Business Editor

Chika Amanze-Nwachuku Maritime Editor

John Iwori

AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

Crusoe Osagie

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

Chinedu Eze (Aviation) Linda Eroke (Labour) Eromosele Abiodun (Cap Mkt) Ejiofor Alike (Energy) James Emejo (Nation’s Capital) Obinna Chima (Money Mkt) Reporters

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (AgricBusiness)

NEWS

‘ICT Can Create 35m Jobs in Few Weeks’ Emma Okonj In line with the federal government’s initiative to diversify the Nigerian economy and create job opportunities through the use of information and communications technology (ICT), experts in ICT have said the sector can create 35 million jobs in a few weeks, if the sector is adequately empowered.

The ICT experts who spoke at a technology event in Lagos recently, called on the federal government to intensify its efforts in diversifying the Nigerian economy through ICT, insisting that ICT could turn around the fortunes of the county within few years, if proper attention is given to the sector.

Vice Chairman, Computer Warehouse Group (CWG) Mr. Austin Okere, explained how Nigeria could generate 35 million jobs in few weeks through adequate support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), using ICT. “Nigeria can create 35 million jobs with ICT and not just with ICT enabled.

We have 35 million SMEs in the country and each of them is expecting patronage from customers.

So what we have done in CWG is to provide cloud-based services for SMEs to upload their goods and services online, and connect them to payment portals and logistics.

We also have software that handles accounting system for businesses and this will enable small businesses to do proper accounting system that will help their business grow.

Most times when SMEs want to upscale their business and

they go to banks for loans, the banks hardly listen to them because they do not have proper accounting system,” Okere said.

He explained that if each of the 35 million registered SMEs in the country is empowered to scale-up their business and employ just one additional person, that will translate to 35 million jobs created in few days and not even the government can create such huge amount of job.

He quoted the Minster of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, as saying that the industry will create about 100,000 IT jobs in one year, explaining that the 100,000

IT jobs was a far cry from what the 35 million jobs that SMEs could create within a space of few weeks, if they are empowered.

“CWG has helped banks grow their customer base and the Diamond Yello Bank Account is a good example, when at the first instance of connecting the bank customers with our software solution, the bank recorded over six million customers. That is the power of technology, if properly harnessed,” Okere said.

“Aside banks, we are also helping telecoms companies to drive their customer base. What we do is to offer organisations with subscription-based technol-

ogy that is quite cheaper for them to operate with, rather than for them to build their own IT infrastructure. Businesses need to be empowered technologically in order to meet the economic diversification dream of the federal government,” Okere added.

Speaking in the same vein, the Managing Director, Rack Centre, a co-location data centre, Mr. Ayotunde Cocker, explained how hosting of big data in Nigeria would boost technology development in the country.

“We have developed rack centre operations in Nigeria that could host a lot of big data for organisations in Nigeria, but

we still found out that most organisations still host their big data outside the country, a situation, he said, would slow down technology growth rate and economic diversification in the country.

The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Ferdi Moolman, also spoke on the need for government to develop and support the ICT sector in order to achieve its economic diversification goals.

He said content development is key in today’s global technology innovation, while commending local content developers in ICT in Nigeria for their roles in driving digitisation in the country.

PRODUCT LAUNCH

L-R: CEO Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher; Vice President, Marketing, Etisalat, Adebisi Idowu, and Director, Consumer Segment, Etisalat, Adeolu Dairo, during the launch of Etisalat Cliqlite portal in Lagos...recently Abiodun Ajala

African Economy Ripe for Cashless Payment, Says MasterCard

NITDA to Assist Plateau Configure Fresh ICT Architecture

Emma Okonji

Dele Ogbodo in Abuja

African countries share some of the world’s highest speeds of digital growth with people now constantly in pursuit of faster and more convenient ways of paying for goods and services.

With the advances in technology, it is now possible to satisfy this demand at reasonable costs in Africa, MasterCard said, during the 16th edition of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Cashless Card Expo held in Lagos recently.

Vice President and Area Business Head, West Africa, MasterCard, Omokehinde Adebanjo, who made the assertion, while speaking on retail payment in the emerging eCommerce revolution in Africa, noted that whereas the progress on cashless payment has been slow in Africa, electronic payment systems are superseding cash, bank notes, payment orders and cheques, with a huge demand for faster and more convenient ways to pay for goods and services.

“In Africa, financial inclusion is crucial in order to ensure sustained economic progress and electronic payment growth across the region and other emerging markets, consider-

ing that several areas in the continent still do not have banking systems, while those that do, are slowly transitioning from a cash-based society to electronic payment methods,” she said.

According to her, financial exclusion is a major challenge with almost two thirds of the African population falling outside of the financial mainstream.

“In order to address this challenge, it has become more important than ever to make financial services more easily available to the millions of low-income, undeserved and unbanked individuals.

Furthermore, financially excluded markets are huge unserved populations looking for a solution, and lower income does not mean that electronic payments are out of reach,” the MasterCard chief added.

She noted that many successful initiatives targeting lower-income segments have been established, such as micro payments and micro finance.

“These types of services have the potential to open up new remittance corridors, expand the scope of cashless money transfers, extend financial inclusion and grow the economy.

Through the use of technology, households, local business and technology companies become empowered to create a world beyond cash. The e-commerce environment in Africa is robust and expanding at a rapid rate. This is driven by continued telecommunications infrastructural development, an increase in the number of mobile service providers and the decreasing costs of using the internet,” she said.

“This has resulted in more and more retailers placing their inventory online and opening themselves up to the global marketplace. This shows that electronic commerce is the engine that improves the economic well-being of a nation through rapid integration into globalisation and exploiting the evolving technology,” Adebanjo added.

She noted that this type of digital evolution is not just convenient but also plays a vital role in stimulating economic growth not only in Africa, but across the globe. She further explained that this would promote greater financial inclusion, and give those without access to the formal banking system, an introduction to formal financial services.

The acting Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, has pledged the agency’s commitment to assist Plateau State to develop fresh information and communication technology (ICT) architecture that will drive the its information technology (IT) policy.

“The IT policy framework that will be specifically configured for the state, is expected to drive development across all the local governments and higher institutions of learning, in the state,” Olatunji said.

The acting DG, who made the disclosure when he hosted the Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Prof. Sonni Gwamle Tyoden, in his office, in Abuja recently, also said the policy framework would be ready before September this year.

Olatunji, who assured the state that the ICT policy framework would be developed within three months, said: “NITDA will implore Plateau State to set up an IT development agency

and should be headed by a technocrat to drive the process of implementing all the necessary policy framework.”

While calling on other state governments to key into NITDA’s IT policy framework, he said the agency was set up by federal government to assist the country in the area of ICT for rapid economic development.

The NITDA boss said: “One major area that is important to government is the IT policy, which is the guideline and standard for IT operation.”

“I am happy that Plateau is one of the states that we have chosen this year, and what we shall be doing going forward, is to look at the policy area in various states and assist them in developing appropriate strategies that can reposition them developmentally, using ICT as the main driver,” Olatunji added.

NITDA, he said, appointed some resource hands to work with the state on how to use ICT to develop the state and I believe this will be the foundation for us to move forward.

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E-BUSINESS

Competition as Catalyst to Lower Data Cost Competition in data service offerings among telecoms operators is the driving force behind the crashing cost of data bundles to the benefit of subscribers, writes Emma Okonji When Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) services were launched in Nigeria in 2001, the voice service offering was predominant among offered by the telecoms operators. At that time, cost of voice calls was N50 per minute and most of the few subscribers with mobile devices could not make calls at ease from their mobile devices because of the high cost of voice calls. The period was characterised by the services offered by call centre operators, who positioned themselves at strategic spots along the roadsides under branded umbrellas of telecoms operators. Customers who patronised them to make calls, did so in a hurry, just to avoid incurring huge cost from the N50 per minute billing.

But in 2003, the scenario changed when Globacom entered the telecoms space with per second billing. Globacom started billing customers as low as 20 kobo per second, which approximately was N12 per minute, and this brought a lot of relief to customers.

The beauty of per second billing was that it removed the idea of rounding off all calls that ended in seconds into minutes. Before Globacom introduced per second billing, calls that ended in 2 minutes and 2 seconds, were automatically rounded off to 3 minutes and subscribers were charged N150.

With the per second billing, Globacom, however, forced other operators to start billing their customers in per second. This continued until about 2008, when telecoms operators started offering core data services on their networks, which was a deviation from their core voice offerings. However, in 2010, a global shift from voice to data services, compelled telecoms operators to increase competition for data service offerings. Since then cost of data service offerings has continued to drop, while the data bundle capacity continues to increase, a situation that has become a delight for telecoms subscribers.

Data service and competition In 2003, Globacom came into the market with the mantra of innovation. It positioned itself as the most innovative telecoms company in the market. The company had enough grounds to lay claim to that position as it came into the market with a 2.5G, GPRS network, different from the 2G infrastructure that other operators were riding on.

With this, Globacom could provide value added services like M-banking, text2email, Magic Plus, Multimedia Messaging Service, vehicle tracking among other revolutionary services.

The emergence of Globacom added fun to subscribers’ daily network experience. For instance, the launch of the Blackberry in 2006 was a game-changing move that gave the network an edge. The network continued to blaze the trail and went on to launch the 3G network.

The era of 3G communication saw the explosion of data-based telecommunication and mobile internet services. Nigeria had entered the league of online nations where business and social communication were done virtually on-the-go.

But one barrier existed between the subscribers and the service providers, which was cost. While the bandwidth was available, customers often could not afford the cost of many services over the World Wide Web that connects the world via internet. Audio streaming, not to mention video streaming or heavy data usage for most internet data users was out of the question. Not many data customers could afford to buy up to 1 Gigabyte of data bundle. Many depended on small plans that gave 100 or 200 megabytes and at most 500 megabytes.

Globacom data offerings In the midst of offering competitive data services, Globacom stepped in with Glo-1 in 2010. The infrastructure addressed the inadequacy of SAT-3 that could not

Chairman, Globacom, Mike Adenuga

guarantee the required speed and capacity for the emerging bandwidth demands of Africa. The landing of Glo1 translated into much faster and more robust connectivity for voice, data and video. This development and the launch of other submarine cables like Main One, made bandwidth available and facilitated a drastic fall in the cost of doing data/internet services.

Globacom led the way to liberalise access to data, thereby making internet connectivity not only fast and available, but also making such services pocket-friendly.

In January 2016, Globacom gave subscribers the bumper data offer, which increased the value of its data. It gave subscribers 6GB data for the N3,000 data plan instead of 4.5GB, while a N4000 data plan was introduced with 9GB of data.

In May 2016, the telco came out with a-two pronged offer that gave free voice airtime to data subscribers. One of the products, Talk Special, gives free data to voice subscribers while Twin Bash gives free talk time to data subscribers.

In the new plan, subscribers to the network now receive up to double the data volume previously available on every plan.

An examination of the new tariff regime shows that the N1,000 plan which used to give the subscriber 1.5GB of data now gives 2GB, while the N2,000 plan which hitherto came with 3GB of data now has 6GB data.

Similarly, subscribers will now get 10GB of data for N2,500 plan instead of 5GB and 12GB for N3,000 instead of 6GB data which the plan offered before.

For the N4,000 data plan, the subscriber will now get 18GB instead of the old 9GB, while the N5,000 subscription will give the customer 24GB. The biggest offer is the N8, 000 subscription which, instead of the old 24GB, now gives the customer a 48GB of data. According to market analysts, Glo’s Data Overload is currently the most attractive offer in the market as no operator offers anything near it.

The Overload regime can be a game-changer in the industry and as soon as Globacom announced its new data plan, other GSM networks also recalibrated their rates.

CEO, Airtel, Segun Ogunsanya

Etisalat data services One of the outstanding data services being offered by Etisalat is the Easy Flex Evolution.

It is another prepaid package from Etisalat that strives to take care of the customer’s voice and data needs upon successful subscription to any of the bundles. Just like Glo’s talk Special and Twin bash, the package comes with voice centric and data centric variants.

Apart from the Easy Flex Evolution, Etisalat reviewed its data packages to offer the following 1.5GB for N1,000, 3.5GB for N2,000, 6.5GB for 3,500, 16GB for N8,000 and 22GB for N10,000.

MTN data services MTN is another operator that is offering competitive data services in the telecoms space. The telecoms company offers 1.5GB for N1,000; 3.5GB for N2,000, and offers 5GB for N2,500 on the MTN network. It also offers 10GB for N5,000, but its data offering rate is not the best among telecoms operators data offerings.

Airtel data offerings Airtel, one of the earliest telecoms operators in Nigeria, offers the Airtel Unliminet, as one of its best data service offerings.

Just like Globacom’s Talk More and Twin Bash, the Airtel Unliminet gives free talk time for data ranging from 20 minutes to 300 minutes, depending on the plan. A N1,200 plan gives 1024MB with 60 minutes free talk time and 60 SMS; a 1.2GB on the Unlimitnet plan goes for N3,000 plus 180 minutes free talk time and 300 SMS; while 2.5GB of data is what the subscriber gets for N5,000 plus 300 talk time and 500 SMS. On the regular plan for android phones, Airtel subscribers get 3.5GB data bundle for N2,000. Again, this seems not to be the best offer among telecoms operators.

On the Airtel network, the subscriber under the latest price scheme gets 5GB for N2500, while the benefit for N5,000 on the network is 24GB. Airtel has a plan for N3,500 and this offers 7GB of data, while the company offers its

CEO, Etisalat, Matthew Willsher

50GB bundle for N36,000.

For N8,000, Airtel gives 24GB of data for use by subscribers and for N10,000, it gives 34GB and for N15,000, it offers 30GB. Comparison of data plan A comparison of the various rates of data offerings among telecoms operators, shows that Globacom’s rates are far more competitive than the rates offered by other operators. For example, while Etisalat offers 22GB for N10,000, Globacom offers 48GB for N8,000. This is more than double the value Etisalat offers. For N2,000, Etisalat offers 3.5GB while Glo gives 6GB for the same amount.

The differences run across board along the different data values.

On the Airtel network, the subscriber under the latest price scheme gets 5GB for N2,500, but on the Glo network, the benefit for N2,500 is 10 GB while the benefit for N5,000 on the network is 24GB. Airtel has a plan for N3,500 and this offers 7GB of data, but Globacom offers 12GB data bundle plan for N3,000.

Again, Airtel offers its 50GB bundle for N36,000 while Globacom offers its 48GB of data for N8,000.

Industry watchers said Globacom’s competitive edge in data offering could be attributed to the reason why the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has consistently rated the telco higher in terms of data offering.

A statement from Globacom explained that the new Data Overload had given Globacom a market edge above its competitors. The Data Overload was designed to promote upward migration from lower plans and excite Nigerians.

With the new Data Overload, Globacom has made big data available to all. The company said not only has it opened its doors to mobile internet, it is equally committed to speed and quality of service.

“Our Glo1 infrastructure and network of fibre optic cable around the country coupled with a renewed network of microwave facilities to provide last-mile delivery of bandwidth, make the Glo data network the most reliable in the Nigerian market,” Globacom said in a statement.

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BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

L-R: Corporate Services Executive, MTN Nigeria, Ms. Amina Oyagbola; Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh and Media and Communication Consultant, Kastina State Economic Summit, Ms. Safiya Muhammed Adamu at the 1st Kastina State Economic and Investment Summit in Kastina...recently

MTN’s Foray into Agriculture The recent move by the Katsina State Government to open its doors to investors, has provided ample opportunity for MTN to drive agricultural development in the state through the use of ICT, writes Emma Okonji The Kastina Economic and Investment Summit, which was organised recently by the Kastina State government attracted investors. A major aspect of the summit was the application of information communications technology (ICT) in the development of agriculture and improving the lives of the rural people. One of the investors that took advantage of the summit to invest in the state, was MTN Nigeria, who announced the launch of its livestock tracking solution and the mobile electricity, designed to resolve security issues through the application of ICT, as well as help businesses and entrepreneurs minimise their losses, occasioned by issues like wandering cows, which most times, result in huge losses. MTN’s planned investment in mobile electricity in the state, is also expected to drive ancillary businesses and improve the standard of living of the people of Katsina state, thereby enhancing the Nigerian economy in diversified ways.

Diversifying investment Tagged the ‘Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit 2016,’ the summit is a demonstration of the state government’s efforts to diversify the economy and to achieve the objectives of its policy thrust on private sector partnership, job creation, and entrepreneurial promotion through generation of viable investments in the state.

Speaking on the rationale behind the support from MTN, MTN Executive, Amina Oyagbola, said the company remained committed to

driving economic growth in Nigeria by supporting initiatives that will truly place the country on the path of an economic renaissance. She added that the Katsina State Economic and Investment summit was another opportunity for the organisation to demonstrate its commitment to socio-economic development.

“At MTN, we believe that we have a supportive role to play by partnering for development to realise our collective goal of being among the top 20 economies by the year 2020. We are excited to be a part of the huge potential for improved processes and enhanced productivity across sectors of the economy through ICT and look forward to working with stakeholders in both public and private sectors for greater national and global competitiveness,” Oyagbola said.

The 2016 Katsina State Economic and investment Summit, among other things, provided a platform for discourse between the public and private sectors on issues and challenges facing the development of Katsina State, with a view to developing and harmonising common strategies for addressing them.

MTN support MTN Nigeria’s support is coming on the heels of its recent support of the 2016 Innovation Africa Development Summit (IAD), which assessed how ICT can support national and regional development objectives, engagement strategies and operational efficiencies. The event recorded an impressive turnout of attendees which included members

of the Federal Executive Council, Ministers of ICT across Africa, Heads of Regulatory bodies as well as representatives of telecommunication providers from Africa, Asia and Europe.

This maiden edition of the Katsina Economic and Investment Summit, saw top corporate executives, captains of industries and senior government officials congregating to discuss how best to leverage the state’s resources for greater business profitability as well as improve the operating environment for doing business in the state.

ICT and Agricultural development To help reduce challenges with cattle grazing and the judicious use of land across Nigeria, MTN Nigeria launched the MTN Livestock Tracking Solutions (LTS) to assist herdsmen in monitoring and tracking their livestock, while the MTN Mobile Electricity will provide affordable electricity to rural community dwellers.

The solutions will help reduce the incidence of wandering cattle and provide electricity to entrepreneurs and rural dwellers. The mobile electricity solution in partnership with Nova-Lumos will bring clean, modern and affordable electricity to MTN customers in the rural areas.

Oyagbola announced the launch of these solutions in Katsina during he summit.

According to her, “This ICT solution can track the location of cattle, send panic or emergency alerts to the authorities in times of trouble

and help with creating grazing areas separate from farmlands. It can perform location tracking for cattle and geo-fencing for grazing areas.

It makes use of GPS technology and is solar-powered to ensure that you can always stay in touch with your cattle, everywhere they go.”

On the mobile electricity solution, she said: “Our customers in rural areas can therefore replace kerosene lanterns, candles and flashlights with electricity that can power phones, fans, radios, TVs all at once and this service is already running in Katsina State. We are truly excited about these products and their implications for accelerated socioeconomic development across the country. His Excellency, Governor Bello Aminu Masari had expressed his belief in our ability to devise a solution and we are pleased to say that we have done just that.”

Oyagbola also expressed MTN’s preparedness to support e-government objectives at all levels.

“We believe ICT is the future and MTN is committed to supporting Katsina and indeed Nigeria to ensure preparedness and empowerment towards this future.” she said.

The benefits The summit presented a great opportunity for MTN to link up with others for the benefit of both parties.

The governor, Masari, in his remarks stated that the future of development lies with technology which must be adequately utilised.

He acknowledged the support of the private sector in improving the economy of the state while pledging

to ensure his government supports any innovation that will continue to enhance the standard of living of the indigenes of Katsina and improve the economic status of the state.

The first Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit was a three-day event aimed at attracting investments in Kastina from local and foreign investors particularly in the areas of livestock production and meat processing, power generation, medium to large scale agricultural production among other areas.

Speaking on the rationale for supporting the Katsina Economic and Investment Summit, Oyagbola said: “Our rationale for supporting the economic and investment summit is born out of our commitment to driving economic growth in Nigeria by supporting initiatives that will truly place the country on the path of economic renaissance.”

“At MTN, we believe that we have a supportive role to play by partnering government to realise our collective goal of being among the top 20 economies by the year 2020. We are excited to be a part of the huge potential for improved processes and enhanced productivity across sectors of the economy through ICT and we look forward to working with stakeholders in both public and private sectors for greater national and global competitiveness,” Oyagbola said.

She added that MTN considered it a privilege to be a part of the positive change that is powered by ICT and believe that in every sector, there are ICT solutions for improving processes and empowering people.

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ANALYSIS

A Hard Choice to Make Emma Okonji writes that many Nigerian youths and small business owners are at a crossroads as to whether owning a laptop is a necessity or luxury Laptop computers or notebook computers come with various functionalities that meet the needs of the users in diverse ways. While some Nigerian youths, students and small business owners see laptop computers as technology tools for leisure and pleasure, others see them as technology tools for real business that could earn them a living. Which ever way the issue may be looked at, the most important thing is that laptop and notebook computers, meet the needs of the users, be it for pleasure or for business.

A small business owner that just got a lifetime opportunity to pitch for business to a potential investor or present to a tender committee, needs to find a way of achieving results as fast as possible.

After a meeting for the pitch, the business owner may be requested to email the presentation within the hour and incorporate the changes discussed. Giving a situation that the investor has several presentations to consider, and so time is of essence, it becomes important for the business owner to make use of the computer that has internet connectivity, to achieve faster result.

The challenge therefore, is to probably operate from a desktop computer in the house or office or simply from a cyber café. Once there is traffic congestion, which is a characteristic of most cities like Lagos, it means access to either of these to make the changes and email the presentation on time may be impossible.

and mobility, there are some things only a laptop can do, making it a necessity and not a luxury.

In such a scenario, the business owner will be glaring at the prospect of missing out on a big break. In that situation, the person will just be looking at his business plan crumbling. This is a potential situation a small business owners in Africa most times face.

The reality of the world today has become a furiously fast and competitive global village. The advances in technology mean that collaboration between businesses and people is instantaneous. Case in point, in the past having an email

address was a reserve of a select few.

But not having one today means you are unable to communicate and transact business. However, even responding and writing emails promptly is not enough to keep up with the fast moving business world, as productivity on the go is now a necessity.

Furthermore, the internet means that at a click of a button, information that would have taken ages to acquire, is available immediately. And while a smartphone or tablet may afford users the access to internet

Various usage of laptop With the use of laptop, the variety of content that one can create through applications such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Word is unimaginable. From editing photos and videos to creating music and art, a laptop can help you do it whilst on the go. Having a laptop is like carry the entitle office with you.

In the aforementioned scenario, owning a laptop would have easily helped the small business owners to instantaneously edit their presentation. With internet connectivity to the laptop, they would have emailed the presentation within the hour and the big break would have been a reality.

A laptop has an amazing capability to take things to the next level enabling you to become productive in many ways.

If you are a small business owner, owning a laptop and providing the same for your employees has major potential to boost productivity. While this may be a simple illustration of how technology can impact the way we do business in Africa, the continent continues to rise presenting numerous business opportunities but the capacity to quickly tap into these opportunities lies with how fast and well equipped we are.

Unlocking your employee’s ability to get online any time, read, research

and explore different concepts that spur creative ideas for your business is now vital in the increasingly competitive business world.

Benefits of laptop The benefits of a laptop owned by an individual can also extend to the family unit. A laptop can be carried home and used by the kids to research, do their homework or as an entertainment unit for the family thus extending the impact of the device. And while it is a general misconception that laptops are expensive, there is a variety of laptops that are pocket friendly and do not compromise on performance.

The trick is to choose a computer or laptop that suits your needs.

For the same reasons you wouldn’t tubuy a high end sports car to transport farm produce to the city, you shouldn’t also buy a laptop designed for high end computing to simply browse the internet, edit documents and send email.

The power of Intel processors Computers with Intel processors are designed to meet various computing needs, offer high performance and fast speeds. One just needs to choose the right PC for the right use case. With advancement in technology, laptops are now becoming affordable and a necessity for any serious business in Africa. With local programmes launched by companies such as Intel, people have no reason to remain analogue and miss out on any big break.

Sensitising Abuja with Tech Innovation Ecosystem Emma Okonji writes that global technology development in the 21st century has prompted the need for government and the private sector to build an ecosystem of technology innovation in Abuja Abuja, the federal capital territory(FCT), has always been known as the seat of government with little technology innovation.

A simple survey of 10 cities in Nigeria, which have history of supporting innovations in technology, shows that Abuja, the FCT, unlike other cities, is far from supporting technology innovation.

Whereas places like Yaba and Obalende in Lagos; Ife, Abeokuta, Calabar, Enugu, Kano, and Ibadan are regarded as homes to technology startups, Abuja is popular for government business and recreation.

This explains why Abuja did not meet the mark when Information Technology Developers Entrepreneurship Accelerator (IDEA Hub) was established in 2013 in order to leverage information technologies for disruptive change. Lagos and Calabar were the choice cities for the hubs.

Worried about the insensitivity on the part of government and the

private sector to create technology innovation ecosystem in the FCT, the Office for ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIIE), which was established under the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has finally come to rescue Abuja from its innovation inertia.

The agency has the responsibilities of nurturing, cultivating, and expanding the ICT innovation and entrepreneurship in Nigeria in line with National ICT Policy and the NITDA Act 2007.

About OIIE As a specialised and focus organisation that addresses the challenges inhibiting the growth of entrepreneurs as well as create enabling environments to foster innovation and entrepreneurship across the country, OIIE, through its programmes, was designed to increase the contribution of various sectors of Information and Com-

munications Technology (ICT) to national GDP and wealth creation.

To deliver on its mandate, OIIE in 2016 launched StartUP Friday and has hosted Start-UP Friday three times in Abuja, since its launch.

Since its commencement, there has been a great awakening of the startup ecosystem in Abuja as the OIIE has bridged the growth gap by enriching the development processes of new tech businesses through a ‘meet-up’ programme with investors, mentors, technology buyers and enthusiasts in major technology clusters such as Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Enugu, Port-Harcourt, Ibadan, Ife, among other cities.

OIIE and the StartUp Friday initiative StartUP Friday, as a gathering of critical startup development community, facilitates networking and exchanges of ideas and information such as business financing, marketing, pitch preparation support, among

others. It offers community of techdriven start-ups opportunity offline and online to connect, learn, interact, and re-scale their businesses. As such, many startups have exploited the platform to connect with influential people who have assisted them to move their businesses to the next level.

National Coordinator of OIIE, Bunmi Okunowo, said : “OIIE’s work has inspired new vision, new motivation, new knowledge, and new investment in the ecosystem.

Through this new vista, OIIE has contributed to the development process of the start-ups, irrespective of hubs or community affiliation.

Building tech ecosystem in Abuja Before now, the power to convene or galvanise the startups was not utilised. With the programme, OIIE has brought together the ecosystem players, including the hub operators to the demand and great yearning of the startups in growing their businesses.

Drawing strength provided by OIIE, three new hubs have emerged in Abuja in 2016. Startpreneurs Hub, Ventures Platform, and Co-Creation Hub. Two of these - Startpreneurs Hub and Ventures Platform, are working closely with OIIE to utilise its convening power as a government agency to enrich their pipeline. “We hope to link up with hubs, investors and mentors in those regions who will partner with us to drive this program even when we are not there,” Okunowo said.

With this development, Okunowo is delighted and viewed the new hubs as answers to prayers in finding private sectors that would act as the ‘last mile’ for startup development.

This is an exciting moment for Abuja, and the startups communities in Abuja.

According to Okunowo, Abuja, a city that would not be considered when setting up ICT hubs, has now become a centre generating energy for other zones in the country.

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E-BUSINESS

Nigeria Urged to Digitise Businesses in Samsung Graduates 67 Service Engineers, Line with Global Trends Stories by Emma Okonji The Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan has urged Nigeria to digitise her businesses in line with global trends, saying a country’s ability to digitise its businesses and markets is becoming increasingly vital to find a place within the global economy.

Adeduntan, who spoke at the FirstBank Tech Startup Forum in Lagos recently, said technology has suddenly transformed the way that we interact, we navigate and we conduct business, insisting there is urgent need for businesses in Nigeria to be digitised in order to have global acceptance.

According to him, the realities of integrated development on the one hand and the prevailing national and global economic circumstances on the other, compel a reassessment of business to business collaboration models universally, and technology and the financial

services space are not exempted.

“We need to redesign our engagement perspectives to take advantage of these fast-paced changes. The forum, which seeks to address the need for the increase in synergy between tech businesses and financial services providers, is therefore apt,” he said.

He said the United States and India, for example, have turned their tech hubs to enormous economic centres, noting that Nigeria could strategically extract value from our Tech communities to optimise human capacity building, corporate development and foreign exchange potentials, and generally boost the economy.

There are concerns, however, around the dwindling purchasing power of the Nigerian consumer but the successes of several well-structured technology and non-tech startups like Konga, Jumia, Yudala Jobberman, Irokotv, Paga among others, illustrate the potential of the Nigerian economy,” he said.

According to him, it is no

news that in the last few years we have been experiencing disruption.

“I believe that the great drawcard of this digital disruption is the opportunity it brings. New digital strategies continue to challenge traditional business models, disrupting financial services and markets and changing how they interact with investors and consumers, across a range of platforms and devices,” he added.

Also speaking at the forum, the Chairman, First Bank, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, said technology has paved the way for improved businesses in this digital age, by helping to drive business growth through the development of customerfocused and attractive value propositions.

“It has aided the provision of speed in the delivery of goods and services, and also allows information, whether written or broadcast, to be shared more quickly,” she said.

Awosika noted that with fewer resources, marketing can be accomplished by placing

ads that reach millions of ready buyers on the internet or through social networking sites, e-learning and other forms of online training that have reshaped the readiness of the average small business workforce as employees can listen to classroom lectures and share ideas with classmates from the comfort of their home or office.

She said FirstBank remained an ardent supporter of the new inventive energy spreading across Nigeria, and that it was no surprise that at over 120 years old, the bank still offer valuable financial services to its customers.

“We see the need to offer support and encourage technology innovation,” she said.

According to her, the rising technology startups in Nigeria have begun to reflect in the economy of the nation. Most of them have contributed to solving the ailing problems faced by the nation. They are the future of technology disruptions in Africa, and there was need to support them.

PROMOTING READING CULTURE

L-R: Director, Human Resources, Airtel Nigeria, Gbemiga Owolabi and renowned Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at the unveiling of Airtel’s ‘Reading for Leading’ CSR campaign, aimed at promoting the reading culture among primary school students in Nigeria in Lagos...recently.

Honours Best Student

Samsung Electronics, through its Engineering Academy, has graduated 67 students in Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Technical Training from three technical schools in Lagos State.

The programme, which lasted for 21 months was organised in partnership with Lagos State Eko Project, designed to assist students in technical schools across the state to become qualified technicians in their chosen technical fields.

The 67 students, who graduated from the academy, were honoured last week, and the best students in various fields, were recognised. The Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. ChangWook Lee, said that one of major goals of the company was to positively impact the lives of the youth.

“Today, your perseverance doesn’t go unnoticed. Today is a milestone for you as you carve your next steps. As a company, we don’t just think of ourselves as a technology company. One of our main goals is to positively impact the lives of those at the core of our society- the youth.”

“Core to Samsung’s vision is to fast track the entry of Nigerian youth into the electronics job market. This aligns with the government’s vision which encourages entrepreneurship and youth employment initiatives.

The Engineering Academy will continue to play a critical role in developing the technical skills needed to support Samsung’s innovation, which features flagship products designed for optimal use in Africa,” Lee said.

He encouraged the graduating students to think about the future and develop big ideas that will make them better citizens that will contribute to the development of the country.

According to him, “Today

is the first time we will be graduating students admitted into the Academy from three Government Technical Schools in Lagos, situated in Ikorodu, Ikotun and Agidingbi, the host school. It gives me great pleasure to see you graduate from Samsung Engineering Academy as technicians in your chosen field but the joy will be immeasurable when I see you start a business of your own.

The students were trained in three product categories: Audio Visuals, Home Appliance and IT & Mobile.

“On completion of the training, they are expected to do six months internship with Samsung Accredited Service Centres. On completion of internship, they are either retained as employees, seek employment in other companies, become self-employed or gain admission into polytechnics for further studies,” Lee said.

Out of the 67 students, four were rewarded for their outstanding performances during the period the training lasted. They were presented with gifts that ranged from 41 inches Samsung smart TV, refrigerators, to microwave oven machines. While the overall best student, Jaiyeola Kareem was given refrigerator and 41 inches Samsung smart TV, the Gold medalist, Ndukwe Chukwu, went home with a refrigerator, the Silver medalist, Adesunloye David got microwave oven machine with drinks. The bronze medalist, Blare Christian was given microwave oven machine.

In his remarks, the overall best graduating student, Kareem lauded the Samsung’s initiative, which he said gave them the opportunity to become trained engineers.

He also appreciated the state government for giving them enabling environment to acquire technical knowledge.

FG Urged to Enforce Usage of Car Tracking Solutions Concept Nova, an information technology service and software development company, has advised the federal government to mandate all car users to fix tracking devices in their cars to prevent car snatching as part of efforts to rid the country of crime and criminal activities..

Head of Independent Sales, Concept Nova, Mr. Collins Njoku made the call in Lagos during the company’s brokers forum organised to sensitise the youths on how to solve some basic information technology problems in Nigeria.

He emphasised the need for the adoption of tracking solutions device, which he said, would make it easier to recover stolen or snatched cars, adding that if govern-

ment makes it mandatory, the company would give platform access to the police so as to fast track the recovery of the stolen vehicles.

“I want to urge the federal government to mandate all car users in the country to have telematic device in their cars.

This will make it easier for the tracking solution provider to recover cars/vehicles whenever snatched or stolen. And if this is made mandatory, we can even give platform access to police jurisdiction so that if there is any report of car snatch and it is reported by the owner, the police can go to the platform and it will help them monitor the car themselves even without calling the tracking company,” he said.

According to him, if the track monitor is made mandatory, it will go a long way in helping the business and recovery of stolen vehicles and car snatching will be drastically reduced because everybody will be aware.

He explained that despite Nigerians’ low exposure to technology, there was still room for awareness among people, stressing that many people are perplexed about the information they get during the presentation on the tracking solutions by Concept Nova.

“The challenge is that the Nigerian’s exposure to technology is not so wide and that is the essence of this forum. A lot of people

were perplexed about the information we gave about the tracking device despite the fact that the device has been on for more than 10 years. The information is not widely circulated and that is why we are making so much efforts to get people aware,” he added.

According to him, “We have talked about track monitor, fuel monitor solution, C-cargo, a truck monitoring solution which enables truck owners to monitor the load their truck is carrying. The tracker tells you where your vehicle is, it cannot tell you which load your vehicle is carrying. Cprotect is another product that protects the screens of vehicles.

If the burglars hit your vehicle screen with hammer or hard

object repeatedly but it will not shatter.”

“C-protect also protect against domestic accident in the homes. It can be fixed in your window glasses, centre table glass so that they cannot be easily broken by your children or injure them. The good thing about the C-protect is that it is transparent and nobody knows it is there,” he said.

He added that the participants were selected for the programme after meeting the stipulated conditions. “We need people who will be able to relate with the products we are selling, people that have basic level of education so that when we relate with them they would understand what we are saying.”

One of the speakers at the forum, who focused on the track solutions, Mr. Anthony Orji, said over 500 vehicles could be monitored simultaneously through one platform, adding that it will be easier to detect if the car/vehicle that is supposed to operate in Lagos has been taken to Port Harcourt.

“The app is specially designed for the purpose of monitoring and tracking.

If the driver exceeds the specified speed limit, you will get the report on your mobile app immediately. The tracker is always hidden in the car that is why we don’t allow anybody including the owner of the car to know whenever we want to fix it,” Orji said.

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Oluwasona: Advertising Could Contribute More to GDP if Properly Harnessed The new President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, Kayode Oluwasona, in this interview, expresses his concern over the low priority given to the advertising industry by government and how APCON’s dissolved council has been left unattended for a year. Raheem Akingbolu brings the excerpts: In some economies, advertising contributes well to gross domestic product (GDP). Can you situate its contribution in Nigeria?

Like other players in the economy, the contribution of advertising industry to the GDP is huge. Before I go into the details, let us look at it this way; for decades, the industry has been in the forefront of brand building at both private and public sectors and it has always ease employment problem by engaging millions of people in the economy.

And now that the industry annual billing is in billions, it can be imagined how much we pay as tax. Even though branding could be intangible, it is still valuable as intangible as it may be. That is why you can measure your brand equity. That is why when you look at the success and global rating of 100 companies in terms of value, a major element of that branding is equity. When broken down, it will be discovered that equity building is predicated on communication or advertising.

Therefore, it depends on our understanding of GDP calculation. That said, one can also look at earnings because GDP is calculated based on different approach. The truth of it is that if you look at the revenue aspect of the industry, what percentage it contributes into the economy. Until the rebasing of the GDP, a big industry such as Nollywood was not included. So, I will say the restructuring of the GDP helped us in realising how big we are as a country economically. If you take a look at the figure then, they brought in telecommunications and other sectors which were hitherto not recognised. Now, we can now begin to imagine to what will happen if advertising is recognised and appreciated.

In fact, I am of the opinion that the industry will contribute more to the GDP if proper harnessed.

The truth of it is that those who know how brands are built, especially in advanced market, cannot in any way discountenance or diminishe the contribution of advertising to GDP. Pick any brand that is worth something in let’s say billion dollar; you will be marveled at extent at which advertising helps its growth. If you take a look at brands that are known or household brands In Nigeria, you can easily say, without thinking about any scientific way, that half of the values of the brands are built by advertising. However, I agree that there is a whole lot that need to be done but the question to answer is why are we not getting that desired level of recognition? For me, it is as a result of years of negligence on the part of stakeholders.

The level of awareness is still very low with a lot of local business owners still looking down at advertising. We have realised that in AAAN and we are addressing it so that we are not misunderstood.

Over the years, there seems to be apathy on the part of government to engage marketing communication, where lies the missing link?

Succinctly speaking, I think all of these things have historical perspectives. I can tell you that political advertising took a turn for the better towards the 1993 election when late Bashorun Moshood Abiola of the rested Social Democratic Party was slugging it out with Alhaji Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention. We all remember those jingles, which were then a watershed in the history of advertising in Nigeria. We shouldn’t forget in hurry that those campaigns were executed

by Nigerian advertising agency. 23 years after the campaign, one will expect it to have gotten a multiply effect on the thinking of Nigerians. If within that space, things have

move towards actualising the dream of the proposed Advertising Academy, what is your plan towards the academy?

When I was talking about what I intend to achieve during our AGM and election in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, I did mention that I want to restore the respect we have always had. There are several things to that; one of which is the need to raise the standard of the profession to the extent that we surpass the level expected of a Nigerian agency. You cannot achieve that if skills are lacking. That is the sense in which the academy will be set up.

We must realise that we do not operate in a vacuum. It is a tough thing to get the kind of academy we are looking for. The thinking about it, in the first place, is noble and should be applauded. Of course, there may have been issues that militated against its effective take off. But now, the coast is getting clearer by the day. In the last one year, we have made considerable progress.

We now have a rector, the academy is taking shape but what now remain is to launch it commercially. We are going to start doing something that will make stakeholders know that the academy has come to life.

Our forefather in the profession thought of the academy, they did the documentation preliminaries and we now have to go to the execution stage. At this level, we need to firm up a whole lot of things such as getting the faculty, curricula, accreditation, corporate identity and marketing. Before the end of last administration, we were already close to it and by the grace of God, in the life of this regime; we are going to launch the academy.

From then on, people can begin to go in as students and get the necessary skills beyond what obtains in the four walls of our tertiary institutions. With this, we hope it will help graduates become practitioners.

Oluwasona

started changing, one can only expect by now that we should have gotten to a particular level. I must confess nonetheless that things are improving. My guess is that we must have focused our attention more on private businesses’ branding as against public sector campaign which I think was unfortunate.

However, we get wiser and better by the day, I hope things improve as we go ahead in the years ahead.

What do you think can be done differently to attract the needed attention to advertising?

It requires efforts from all stakeholders, the practitioners, private business owners, consumers and largely the government. One, the level of sophistication among Nigerian consumers is clear now. I think it only makes sense that things on all sphere are done professionally. That is why you cannot rule out the fact that government communication has to be professionally done. In the past, advertising agencies may have focused on super brands. For me, the reason for this was because of the way advertising came in. If you remembered over 100 years ago, it was the Lintas of this world that came into the market with multinational companies. If you look at the way advertising grew, the idea could not have been much different from following those that brought them in.

So, a lot of attention went there, awareness level grew among different sectors of the economy and the need for advertising in

the public sector started coming in. Another thing I know today is that a lot of ministries, department and MDAs of government are using advertising agency even though I am aware that there is a whole lot that still need to be done. As I speak, some of them who use advertising agencies used them on trial basis but we are working hard to ensure that it is established as a way of life. We want to ensure that whatever it is that needs to be done by this sector in communicating to its publics, the agencies come in handy to help so as to achieve better performance.

As the newly elected President of AAAN, what new thing are you bringing into the table?

There is really nothing new under the sun. What I would actually want to do is to take the association to the next level. By the time I am done, I want to be remembered for having helped so much in restoring the values and the respect for our industry. In the next two years, a lot of things will be done that will make us perform individually and collectively as an association such that we will naturally attract the respect of all stakeholders including clients, government and regulatory bodies. In a nutshell, I want to make sure that we present ourselves and seen as truly professional and worthy of the respect that we deserve.

The last administration made a practical

One year after the board of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria was dissolved, there seem to be no hope that it would be constituted soon, what does this portend for the industry?

I must confess that I am worried as well as other members of the association. We are worried that the council has not been reconstituted as at now. The issue about this has much to do with the law, which we are trying to study very well. The council was reconstituted in March and shortly after it, a new government came in. Naturally as you would expect of new regime particularly when there was a change from one political party to another, government parastatals’ head had to change to reflect the new thinking. That is actually what happened in the case of APCON. Otherwise, the three year tenure of the last man in Council should not have been in any way disturbed.

However, I think the association believed that the APCON council is a professional one and should not have been misconstrued to be a regular public sector council. If I may ask, why has the CBN governor not been changed?

It is the same way we think APCON should be treated. However, it is still being debated as to what does the law says or what kind of council is it.

But for us, being a professional council, you will definitely expect a negative backlash especially considering the fact that for almost a year that a new government has been in position and we have not had a council.

Among other problems, the situation has affected the progress, development of the industry, training and performance.

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CONSUMER

Market Insight as Strength for the Chi Brand Raheem Akingbolu writes on how the promoters of the Chi brand have explored research and quality to compete in the dairy and juice markets

From any angle one chooses to look at it, the Chi brand has fought a good fight in the Nigeria juice and dairy markets. For a brand that was barely unknown some 20 years ago to have suddenly won consumers loyalty and become top players in various segments of the market within a decade, its promoters must have done a good job. Today, products from the stable have not only become consumers’ favorite, they have become household names.

From day one, the journey hasn’t been an easy one. There were giants like Coca Cola and Dangote to compete with in the juice market and there were also giants like FrieslandCampina WAMCO and Promasidor to slug it out with in the dairy market. As a result of this, contest for the mind of the consumer has always been tough. From time to time, each of the players explores advertising, experiential and networking to win consumer’s loyalty.

Place of research and quality The question that readily comes to mind anytime issues related to the growth of Chi is mentioned is naturally hinged on how the company has achieved so much within a short period, despite the competition in the market. But its handlers have consistently emphasised that the company’s early investment to consumer research and commitment to natural ingredients have helped the brand to grow in the market.

According to a source within the company, two decades ago, when the promoters of the brand were

preparing to navigate the Nigeria market, their first area of interest was to know where the shoe was pinching consumers. The first thing they identified, according to the source, was the fact that milk, especially, was for the rich. Another thing was that the existing dairy companies before its arrival were only keen about their bottom line with little or no consideration for the feelings of the masses. With this, they saw a vacuum and they moved in heavily to fill it.

However, while they were working on how to make consumers get value for money, they also considered quality, hence the decision to enter the market with juice and dairy products with health benefit at affordable price. As at the time this planning was going on, competitions in the market were still living in fool’s paradise, thinking they could still continue to extort Nigerians. Before they woke up from their slumbers, Chivita and Hollandia Milk had gained the substantial size of the market share.

Brand promise Looking back at the history of Chi Limited and its brand promise when it entered the market in 1982, it is easy to conclude that it has not derailed. At the inception, it was stated that the brand primarily catered to the needs of discerning Nigerian customers, for high quality, healthy and refreshing fruit drinks, fruit juices and a range of dairy products. Other drinks from the stable are; Chivita Premium 100%

Pure Fruit Juices, CHI Exotic fruit nectars, CHI Happy Hour fruit drink and Capri-Sonne fruit drinks, which has now become a must drink for Nigerian children.

If there is anything that has helped the growth of the company in the market, it is the naturalness of its products, which has been extended well to Hollandia Milk.

The group’s pay off line; ‘Happiness has another name, Chi!’ can be said to have been the guiding words for Hollandia Milk. Nigerians found the quality they wanted and the quantity they desired and quickly pitched their tent with the brand.

Another major factor that has helped the brand success is in the area of pricing. Perhaps deliberate, the brand primary target at the beginning appeared to be the consumers at the low end of the ladder and the middle class. With time, the people in other segment, especially in the upper class saw the beauty and benefit of identifying with the brand that is adding so much value at a friendly price and they too quickly jumped. The rest as the saying goes becomes history.

Experience Sharing his experience, a Civil Engineer, Mr. Ayo Akinyemi painted the dramatic way in which he switched from his favourite Milk to embrace Hollandia. “In my house, we were used to Peak Milk but my children always preferred Hollandia.

We ended up started buying both.

Then one day, the kids went for a birthday party at my uncle’s place

with our house help and they slept over. The following morning, my wife was forced to resort to the left over of Hollandia in our children’s compartment because we didn’t have our favourite at home. As we were taking our breakfast and drinking the tea, my wife broke the silence.

“Honey, we have been wasting our money for nothing”, she said. I told her that was what I have wanted to say. From that day, we started taking Hollandia because it offers what others offer in a friendly price,” he said.

Despite their success in the market place, handlers of the brand have never allowed complacency to set in for a day –they have consistently been inventing and adding more values. Recently, in order to make customers get more value for their money, the company added 25 percent extra milk to the brand.

Asides, Hollandia is the first milk brand in Nigeria to be packaged in Tetra pak, the product is designed to provide consumers with creamy, great tasting, highly nutritious and affordable evaporated milk in handy 215g packs. Hollandia Evaporated Milk’s 215g unique packaging ensures supreme convenience as the innovative pour, cap & keep pack eliminates the hassles of milk storage and the design ensures longer safety from spoilage and contamination.

In taste, quality, innovation, and satisfaction, it is believed in some quarters that no other milk is at par with the product. Promoters of Hollandia Evaporated Milk also understand that for their patrons

to stay with the brand value for money is paramount, this possibly explains why 25 percent more milk was provided for consumers as against what other brands in the same price range offer.

Endorsement In what looked like a confirmation of the strength of the brand in the market place, Chivita from the stable of Chi Limited, was recently awarded at the 2016 edition of Marketing Edge Summit and Awards.

In a similar way, Hollandia Evaporated Milk, marketed by the same company, is steadily gaining market share by leveraging on innovative practices to win the hearts and minds of consumers. The brand’s wide acceptance and growing popularity, especially in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, and in the South West, was recently affirmed

by AC Nielsen’s Retail Audit data covering the last 12 quarters.

According to AC Nielsen, a leading global information and measurement company, HollandiaEvap has consistently gained market share across the country. The brand, according to the measurement company has increased its market share by 7.4 points while its closest rival dropped market share by a whopping 7.9 points in the period under review.

With all the innovations and recognitions, there is no gainsaying the fact that the Chi brand has come to stay but its handlers will need to work harder, giving the challenges in the market and likely responses from competing brands.

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As First Bank Records Another First Despite the lull in the economic space, the First Bank brand still maintains its lead by achieving a transaction volume of 100 million in a month, Raheem Akingbolu reports In positioning and management, First Bank of Nigeria has always made a brand statement that espouses its essence. Being a proactive brand with rich heritage, the bank and its promoters have continued to ride on innovation and excellent banking service to give patrons unique customer experience. In a way, this has in return reflected on its balance sheet. Like every good brand that understands the core message of positioning, the bank truly understands its competition and then works daily on its competitive advantage.

All these were confirmed recently when the leading retail bank brand, was officially recognised as the first financial institution in the country to achieve a transaction volume of 100 million transactions in a month by Interswitch Transnational -Africa’s leading integrated payment and transaction processing company.

According to the Interswitch, this milestone feat was achieved in the month of December 2015 and represents the total transactions processed by FirstBank’s Front End Processor running on the Interswitch transaction switching platform which seamlessly links all financial institutions in Nigeria to facilitate better and quicker transactions across all platforms.

As Nigeria’s leading financial institution with over 10 million customers, this achievement by FirstBank is said to be clearly aligns with its strategic intent to promote financial inclusion, support the cashless policy drive of the Central Bank of Nigeria and boost economic growth via e-payments across Nigeria and the African continent.

According to the bank’s Group Head, e-business, Chuma Ezirim, FirstBank remains committed to lead the drive to move the Nigerian economy away from traditional cash and other generic payment means to modern technological varieties in e-Payment.

Reacting to the development, Divisional CEO, Switching and Processing, Interswitch, Akeem Lawal said the fact that a single banking partner can record 100 million transactions in a single month, has clearly demonstrated something about the strength and development of electronic transactions in Nigeria.

“When you add this figure to that of our other partners, then you can begin to have an idea of the sheer size and demand for electronic financial services in Nigeria,” Lawal said.

Also speaking, the GMD/CEO of FirstBank, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan noted that the bank will continue to employ novel approaches in providing secure and convenient banking services for its, promising that the bank will continue to innovate and extend its leadership of the financial sector services with specialised and technology-driven products and services.

In a similar way, the bank had in 2012 received a Milestone Achievement Award as the first bank to hit a five million mark of Verve card issuance to its customers.

Growth Strategy Perhaps what works for the First Bank of Nigeria brand in asserting its feet firmly in the market is the fact that the promoters of the brand don’t limit themselves to the local

market. Knowing well that building a global brand requires more than just launching a web site, that is accessible from almost anywhere in the world, they have gone a long way in understanding customer behavior across the major markets in Africa.

To this end, First Bank has all along been positioned properly.

This explains why FirstBank, has today become a well-diversified financial services group and the largest private sector financial services provider in sub-Saharan Africa, except probably South Africa. In all the markets where it operates, the bank maintains the leading position and well recognized brand equity with a large customer base.

With almost 800 business locations in Nigeria, all on-line and real time, the bank has one of the largest domestic sales networks in the country. As a market leader in the financial services sector, First Bank pioneered initiatives in international money transfer and electronic banking in the country, serving more than 9 million customer accounts.

First Bank’s strategy has been focused on restructuring the business to take advantage of growth opportunities within the industry, pursuing business line expansion across strategic business units, continuously implementing a systematic international expansion plan, sequencing its growth initiatives across defined metrics, as well as building synergies and cross-selling across the First Bank group. This strategy supports the brand’s vision of being the leading sub-Sahara African financial services

group. It is believed by analysts that continued implementation of this strategy will produce long-term profitable growth as well as build great franchises and deliver value to all stakeholders.

Another thing that has distinguished the brand is the long drawn transformation in the Nigerian financial services sector, which has also made it Nigeria’s strongest financial services group. This is arguably as a result of its proactive and far-reaching transformation programme initiated ahead of the turn of the present century. FirstBank was the first quoted company in Nigeria to achieve the feat of hitting the trillion naira mark in market capitalisation, the clearest evidence of the market’s estimation of its worth. In 2012, the FirstBank Group adopted a holding company structure – FBN Holdings Plc – in recognition of the need to retain the diversity of the Bank’s businesses, to enable the provision of a full range of financial services needs to customers beyond commercial banking, to investment banking, insurance and other financial services.

The Commercial Banking group is led by FirstBank, which has operations in 12 countries, with nine subsidiary companies which provide a comprehensive range of retail and corporate financial services, including commercial banking operations, pension fund management, and mortgages, offering banking services to a rich network of both individual customers and businesses.

Recognition In its over 120 years of uninterrupted operations, FirstBank’s outstanding services have attracted many recognitions and awards. The bank was the first to be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in March 1971 and won the NSE’s Annual President’s Merit Award for the best financial report in the banking industry a record 13 times. This subsisting feat received additional impetus when the bank in 2011 was bestowed with the “Best Financial Reporting Company” award by Africa Investor, one of Africa’s most respected multimedia investment news and information publishers In the same period, FirstBank was named the “Most Innovative Bank in Africa” by African Banker Awards. This coveted award goes to the African bank that has demonstrated original and practical uses of technology to provide customer convenience, better and cheaper services, and greater access to the financial services industry in Africa.

The award, therefore, represents a global recognition of the giant strides the bank has made over the years in deploying technology to power its operations and services, and ultimately making banking services more convenient, accessible and faster.

Rebranding Beyond any reason that may be given by brand owners, who breathe fresh air into their brands, one thing that is sacrosanct is the need to keep abreast of changing needs in the market place. This

happened two years ago, when the First Bank Holdings rolled out the drum to usher in a new identity. In less than 24 hours after the official unveiling, customers who visited a few branches of some branches and other subsidiaries of the group had started noticing the change.The conceptualisation and implementation of the new identity took the creative egg heads within and outside the bank some 18 months before they arrived at the final output. What this translated to was that it was not done in hurry.

Above all, as a best-fit corporate governance promoter, FirstBank’s corporate governance practice remains at the industry’s leadingedge. This is especially evident in its laudable leadership transition processes, ensuring that there is seamless business continuity and stability in all aspects of the bank’s businesses. This corporate governance posture has won the bank much respect and recognition both locally and internationally.

A member of University of Ibadan, one Femi Babatunde aptly captured the nimble and youthful status of First Bank when he described the look and activities within a branch of the bank beside the university.

According to him, the situation is strategic in an accessible location in the bustling city of Ibadan but despite his fear that it would be a herculean task carrying out his banking services, he was proved wrong during his visit to the branch as everything went on smoothly and he left the bank in a jiffy.

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CPC Commends MultiChoice on Compliance Consumer Protection Council has commended the management of Multichoice Nigeria for the successful implementation of the customer focused initiatives prescribed by the council early this year. At a joint press briefing held in Lagos recently, the regulatory body said the Pay-TV company has achieved the targets set out by the CPC to improve customer service.

Speaking at the conference, the Director General of the CPC, Mrs. Dupe Atoki said the mandate of the council was to ensure that consumer’s rights and interests are protected, adding that the council has been working with MultiChoice Nigeria in achieving this and that she was confident that the issues have been

addressed.

She also declared that its intervention in the activities of businesses through its sectoral investigation was to engender consumer confidence and to make genuine businesses more profitable.

Managing Director of MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, also admitted that over the past year, the entertainment company had worked closely with the CPC, to identify its customers’ areas of need, and made a commitment towards implementing solutions that would resonate with the customers and lead to improved customer service.

He said: “We put our customers first at all times and hold them in very high esteem. We are committed to delivering world class service to our customers and proud

to state that we are the first video entertainment providerin Nigeria to implement these service improvement initiatives. We are confident that this drive will ultimately lead to an improved service journey for our customers.”

According to him, some of the key customerfocused initiatives recently implemented by MultiChoice include: introduction of toll free lines for the public to reach the call centre, which now operates longer hours during weekends and public holidays to ensure greater service and convenience, as well as allowing customers to place their accounts on hold while they are away on holiday for a maximum of 14 days, twice annually for each customer.

Ugbeh added that the pay-

TV company had, through CPC’s intervention, been able to provide employment for 900 youths under its training programmes for professional installers, noting that consumers would begin to see additional and improved services within the next six months.

CPC commenced investigative hearing into the operations of MultiChoice Nigeria, the franchise owners of DStv in July 2015, following the council’s receipt of myriads of consumer complaints, which include decoder swap irregularities, unsatisfactory customer service, incessant disruption of service without compensation, lack of timely information to consumers, and wrongful disconnection of service during subsisting subscriptions, among others

AREWA24 Celebrates Second Anniversary AREWA24, the 24/7 all-Hausa language entertainment and lifestyle satellite TVchannel, production studio and media company, has celebrated its second anniversary. The entertainment platform, which was launched on the eve of Ramadan, 2014, has established itself as the homegrown voice of Northern Nigeria. It produces and broadcasts entertaining and locally relevant Hausa language programming across a variety of popular genres to Hausa speakers across Northern Nigeria and the surrounding countries.

President of the company, Jacob Arback, said: “On this notable occasion, all of us at AREWA24 want to first extend our most sincere thanks and gratitude to our viewers, whose trust and valuable feedback has helped us shape and build AREWA24 in the right way.

We extend thanks to our loyal advertisers and their agencies and to our strategic partners such as the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Eutelsat and Jordan Media City. The AREWA24 production and commercial staff, Arback continues, has grown by leagues from the channel’s early days to today

where the AREWA24 studio is producing programming on a quality par with that of top Nigerian and international channels,” Also speaking, the Head of Studio, Mukhtar Musa Bako, said the inauguration of the channel was a relief to northern audience, who had always willing to have a brand of their own in the entertainment industry. “We are happy to witness first-hand the joy and pride in culture that we are able to bring to our viewers.

Since its debut, every day has remained memorable across Northern Nigeria. Another inspired development is the quality of our staff, they are not only committed, they are productive,” According to the management, the channel was launched in 2014 to fill a glaring void of locally-produced Hausa language entertainment and lifestyle programming that reflects with pride Northern Nigerian life, culture and music. Today, the channel is said to be available to over 80 million Hausa speakers in Nigeria and West Africa through its free-to-air broadcast on Eutelsat satellite.

Olam Sanyo Foods Introduces New Instant Noodles

NEW IDENTITY

L-R: Chairman, Cordors Capital, Mr. Charles Osezua; Managing Directo/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Wale Agbeyangi and Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Ade Bajomo, at the unveiling of new identity of Cordors Capital and launch of three products in Lagos...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

Olam Sanyo Foods Limited has introduced Mama Gold Instant Noodles into the Nigerian market. According to a statement issued by the promoters of the brand, the unveiling, which took place in Lagos, was done by some key distributors of the company.

The Group Product Manager of the company, Ebere Ejidike said: “Mama Gold, as a brand has been there in rice and semolina category. It is loved and trusted by Nigerian consumers for its high quality. It is a brand that is very different and nutritious. Mama Gold noodles is specially formulated after more than two years of research by a team of scientists from our sophisticated research and development facility, in col-

laboration with Sanyo Foods, Japan and a flavor house in Austria. After seven rounds of intensive consumer research we got the perfect chicken flavor which is loved by Nigerians.”

The Ejidike noted that that Mama Gold instant noodles is of a superior quality with right blend of seasoning, the tastiest noodles ever with a golden colour and less sticky.

It gives a lip smacking taste of goodness.

According to him, the product was extensively researched amongst consumers (mothers and Kids) across Nigeria through blind product tests by the leading research agency.

Seventy-three per cent of mothers & 70 per cent of children preferred Mama Gold noodles over the leading brand.

‘African IP Traffic to grow Six-fold by 2020’ Emma Okonji Cisco Visual Networking Index report has predicted that Africa will undergo highest Internet Protocol (IP) growth rate globally at 41 per cent by 2020.

According to the report, which made a complete forecast from 2015 to 2020, Africa’s IP traffic would grow six-fold and fixed broadband speed would increase 2.4 fold with an average mobile speed connection of 5Mbps. Increased connectivity and internet usage are expected to positively impact Nigeria’s digital migration journey.

Global digitisation transformation, based on the adoption of personal devices and deploy-

ment of machine-to-machine (M2M) connections will have an even greater impact on traffic growth. Over the next five years, global IP networks will support up to 10 billion new devices and connections, increasing from 16.3 billion in 2015 to 26.3 billion by 2020.

Within Africa, a renowned mobile centric hub, there will be approximately 1, 5 networked devices per capita in 2020, 77 per cent of which will be mobile-connected, according to the report, which was released recently by Cisco.

The report said advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT) are continuing to drive IP traffic and tangible growth in the market. Applications

such as video surveillance, smart meters, digital health monitors and a host of other M2M services are creating new network requirements and incremental traffic increases.

Globally, M2M connections are calculated to grow nearly three-fold from 4.9 billion in 2015 to 12.2 billion by 2020, representing nearly half of total connected devices. Within Africa, M2M modules will account for 22 per cent of all networked devices by 2020.

Video services and content continue to be the dominant leader compared with all other applications. Internet video will account for 79 per cent of global Internet traffic by 2020, up from 63 per cent in 2015. The report

predicted that the world would reach three trillion Internet video minutes per month by 2020, which is five million years of video per month, or about one million video minutes every second. High Definition (HD) and Ultra HD Internet video will make up 82 per cent of internet video traffic by 2020, up from 53 per cent.

“With the growing dependence on mobile and fixed broadband networks, security concerns are increasingly becoming top of mind for service providers, governments, businesses and consumers. For the first time in this forecast, Cisco collaborated with Arbor Networks to help quantify the current and future threats of

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. DDoS incidents can paralyse networks by flooding servers and network devices with traffic from multiple IP sources. The new DDoS analysis suggests that these types of breaches can represent up to 10 per cent of a country’s total internet traffic while they are occurring. Over the next five years, DDoS attacks are projected to increase from 6.6 million to 17 million attacks. These initial findings underscore the need for more comprehensive security measures to protect data and reduce network exposure to such risks,” the report added.

Analysing the report, the

General Manager, Cisco Nigeria, Olakunle Oloruntimehin, said: “The digital transformation is happening now for billions of consumers and businesses users across the globe.”

“Innovation is imperative for Cisco and its service provider customers to deliver scalable, secure, high-quality services and experiences over all types of broadband network infrastructures,” Oloruntimehin added.

The Cisco VNI global IP traffic and service adoption forecasts for 2015 to 2020, relied upon independent analyst forecasts and real-world network usage data. Upon this foundation are layered Cisco’s own estimates for global IP traffic and service adoption.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016

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Delta: Ensuring Devt through a Smart Agenda Omon-Julius Onabu writes about the various efforts by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to bring progress and development to the people of Delta State in the last one year, in line with his campaign promises To keep faith with the people, who he promised a new lease of life through the development agenda of his government, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has, in his first year in the saddle as Governor of Delta State, sought to execute several people-oriented programmes, despite the cash crunch in the national economy.

His developmental strides span infrastructure, urban renewal, health, education, agriculture/ agribusiness as well as job and wealth creation among other policies and programmes of the state government.

His mission and vision for the state is encapsulated in his developmental blueprint called the S.M.A.R.T. Agenda, which he unveiled on assumption of office in May 2015.

The all-encompassing promise of ‘Prosperity for All Deltans’ through the application of the above-mentioned development programme seemingly created the impression that the physician-turned-politician had a tall order to fulfil.

However, the governor has sought to deliver on his promises in various sectors as contained in the development blueprint; some of which are highlighted below.

Job Creation Unlike similar programmes in the past which sought to prepare people for employment, the Job and Wealth Creation Scheme - which the governor described as the “flagship of the S.M.A.R.T. Agenda” - seeks to produce wealth creators and job creators.

Beyond skills acquisition, the scheme focuses on building a knowledge economy with the ultimate goal of equipping participants with the technical know-how, vocational/technical skills, values and resources to become selfemployed and employers of labour.

In the second batch in April, 540 beneficiaries of the Delta State Skill Training Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) were presented with starter-packs by the Governor. The beneficiaries are in three categories including Computer Hardware and Repairs, Fashion Designing/ Tailoring and Electrical Installation /Repairs.

A total of 771 successful trainees were earlier presented with starter-packs after a threemonth training programme in various areas of entrepreneurship.

Overall, by April 30, 2016, Okowa revealed that his government was able to create total of 17,173 jobs in its first eleven months. The figure includes 6,800 direct jobs and 10,373 indirect jobs of both skilled and unskilled workers.

As a Special Purpose Vehicle, the Office of the Chief Job Creation Officer accounted for 7,522 of these jobs while the remaining 9,651 were created through projects, programmes and initiatives implemented through the various MDAs. Sixty-six per cent of the beneficiaries of the loan scheme are female with the sum of N546 million being disbursed to a total number of 3,110 persons between May 2015 and April 30, 2016.

Basic Infrastructure Within the first 11 months of the Okowa administration, a total of 34 roads across the three senatorial zones of the state were awarded with some roads completed and others ongoing.

Although, the stoppage of the multibillion naira Warri-Effurun-Sapele Road Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, initiated by his predecessor, appears to attract widespread public attention, the major road projects initiated by Governor Okowa include the Cable Point-Nnebisi Road dual-carriage way and the Okpanam Road Storm-water project now under construction in Asaba.

Others include the Old Lagos-Benin Road, Boji-Boji Agbor, the Eku-Sapele Road and the Warri-Sapele-Benin express road rehabilitation, which is a federal road intervention project.

Health is Wealth The mandatory contributory Health Insurance bill was passed and signed into law under the present administration, while the

Road project in Agbor, Delta State

inauguration of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission on May 4, 2016 made it the first state in the country to have a mandatory health insurance scheme for the purpose of universal healthcare coverage.

As well, the law establishing the state commission on HIV/AIDS bill was passed by the state legislature and duly signed into law by the governor, who is now reputed to have sent more executive bills to the assembly than any of his predecessors.

Several hospital projects are ongoing with the Abavo Cottage Hospital already completed and recently unveiled by Okowa while the rejuvenated Patani General Hospital is awaiting unveiling.

Peace and Security In August 2015, the state government inaugurated a 41-member Delta State Peace Building and Advisory Council comprising men and women of proven integrity and exemplary character. The Council meets regularly and has been very active in working to implement policies and programmes to increase public safety in Delta State.

Deputy Governor Kingsley Otuaro is presently leading a special security advocacy team round the coastal areas of the state in a bid to check the resurgence of militancy with series of attacks on several oil installations in the state since January this year, which has worsened the oil and gas supply situation in the country.

Education for All The present administration’s focus has been on technical and vocational education, and six technical schools are being restructured, with three of them at Okwagbe, Sapele and Agbor already fully rehabilitated, while curriculum review and retraining of the academic staff is in progress.

Technical partnerships are also being explored to improve on the functional quality of the products of the colleges. Infrastructural development is ongoing in the three campuses of the Delta State University, spread across the three senatorial zones including Abraka (main campus), Anwai-Asaba and Oleh.

The high point of development in Delta State’s education sector was the two-day Education Summit in February, 2016, which generated comprehensive resolutions that would revolutionise education not only in Delta but in Nigeria as a whole, according to experts.

Crucial Agriculture Under the agriculture programme the

main issue was distribution of tractors to 64 cooperative societies. Another set of 106 cooperative societies got Melon Shellers while 18 others received outboard engines and fishing gears and support packages.

Also, improved variety of cassava cuttings, fertiliser and cash were given to 475 cassava farmers; 100 fishery farmers were given fingerlings, feeds and cash; 100 poultry farmers were supported with 200-day-old chicks each, feeds and cash; 50 poultry layer farmers got 200 layers each, feeds and cash; 50 piggery farmers received 10 growers, feeds and cash; while 40 tomatoes farmers were supported with seedlings, agrochemicals and cash.

Energy Scenario The decision by the state government to establish a new independent power plant (IPP) project has elicited some criticism; against the backdrop of the abandoned N23billion Independent Power Project (IPP), located in Oghara in Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state and awarded to Davnotch Nigeria Limited in 2009.

Over N19 billion has already been paid to

the contractor with no visible evidence of any serious work done. Similarly, tongues have also been wagging about the huge cost of dismantling the N6 billion Warri/-Effurun BRT project, which the government is yet to disclose.

Moving Forward Governor Okowa does not pretend about the enormity of the huge task of developing Delta State that lies ahead still. Recently, he said “Certainly, we have achieved a lot in our first year which the people can identify with that we are on course; that is the clear proof of our commitment to the promise of ‘Prosperity for all Deltans’ through the instrumentality of the S.M.A.R.T. Agenda.

“Although we could have done more given more financial resources, however, there is a lot still to be done. We shall remain focused and united in our determination to deliver the best for our people.”

To the ebullient governor, the secret of his success so far is due to what he called “the cutting edge which superior planning provides.”

RANDOM THOTS

Power of Democracy Although it had been in the pipeline for some time, the whole world reeled in shock last week when 52 per cent of the citizens of the United Kingdom voted in a referendum to pull out of a regional bloc tagged the European Union (EU); with consequent effects on the global economy, markets and international policies. And even though 48 per cent voted to stay put in the Union, majority carried the day and that is the beauty of democracy.

In Nigeria, the pullout by the UK popularly called Britain Exit (Brexit) is having a domino effect, with renewed calls by some groups in the South-east and South-south regions, specifically the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the militant Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) for secession from the

entity called Nigeria; calls which have so far been resisted by the Federal Government.

Now comes the tricky part; the two groups are now calling on the federal government to conduct national referendums for citizens and regional groups to decide if they want to remain part of the country called Nigeria or not. Now, supposing such a referendum takes place, will all actors and stakeholders accept the outcome as fair and abide by the conditions attached?

In this sensitive matter, will the majority be allowed to carry the day? Will the minority (or losers) agree to abide by the outcome in the interest of the collective? A major puzzle…

Abimbola Akosile

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DEvELOpmENT/ISSUESINBOx

Waiting for succour

To Develop Nigeria, is the Current Pain Worthwhile?

Despite assurances by the current ruling administration, an over-whelming majority of Nigerians are suffering untold hardship in the areas of expensive power supply, prohibitive cost of foodstuffs, higher costs of fuel, and rising unemployment. Although some argue that government is on the right development track in the corruption fight and ensuring security, others believe the current pain is due to failed promises. To you, is this pain worthwhile? Will long-suffering citizens still get to enjoy the promised positive development?

THE FEEDBACK

Abimbola Akosile * Government needs to invest massively in solar energy and also partner the citizens to key into government plans in developing Nigeria.

- Mr. Feyisetan Akeeb Kareem, Coordinator, NAVC & CDHR, Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State

Yes, pain is worthwhile

6

No, present pain is not

1

Others:

10

Total no of respondents:

17

* It is, and we have all forgotten that nothing good comes easy. Majority of Nigerians have been living in deception.

The thieves are daily regretting their evil deeds. With prayers, we shall overcome the current pain.

- Hon. Babale Maiungwa, U/Romi, Kaduna

Male:

14

Female:

3

* I think the present afflictions Nigerians are passing through will only be worth its weight in gold if it yields utopia. Is this guaranteed? I’m 60-40 on it. I am only concerned not every Nigerian appears to be experiencing the pain. Some peoples’ lives appear not to show belt-tightening.

- Mr. Ekwenjo Iheanyi Chukwudi, B.A.R., Apo Estate, Abuja * It would have been worthwhile if it wasn’t needless. If plea bargaining had been allowed we would have recovered much more than we have now and the bombings of oil installations would have been avoided. If Buhari had heeded the message given to postpone the fight against corruption against Niger Deltans earlier, which he has now agreed to, we would have avoided the needless pain we have all had to bear and will continue to bear for months.

- Mr. Buga Dunj, Jos, Plateau State * No, the current pains are not worthwhile, as the sharp deviations from all the campaign manifestos are disappointing.

Lack of power, food, employment, succour and cruel insecurity are driving the masses hopeless. When will we get to the promised land? Government must find urgent but charitable solutions to rescue the masses from these pains to avoid recession or depression. The time to act is now.

- Ms. Saiki Ometere Tina, Gboko, Benue State * Most advanced nations today had

Radical tip:

Highest location:

Let pain go round!

Lagos (8)

traversed this treacherous path to be in enviable positions today. It is time for Nigeria to tread this path with all hardship and discomfort for a better tomorrow.

Postponing the evil day will do nobody any good. Now that we have a president that is ready to sacrifice his life for this nation, let us cooperate with him.

- Mr. Mamudu Monday Dickson, Ikeja, Lagos * As long as the desired development is achieved and visible to all, every pain being suffered now is worthwhile. Ironically, Nigerians are used to pain and are long-suffering, but they deserve a break under President Buhari. That is why he was voted into power.

- Mr. Olumuyiwa Olorunsomo, Lagos State * Why are we in a hurry for PMB to turn things overnight when we all know that he met nothing on ground? PMB is trying to put things in order for everyone to enjoy, we know Rome was not built in a day. Everything was jeopardised by the past governments and this government is trying their best to fix it for the betterment of Nigerians.

- Mr. Gordon Chika Nnorom, Public Commentator, Umukabia, Abia State * As long as our so-called leaders continue to live the kind of lifestyles deep in corruption, Nigerians will continue to suffer.

- Mr. Adum Ijale, Civil Servant, Lagos * The current administration is not sincere with application of economic and social pains it’s inflicting on Nigerians. Electoral promises have been dumped or massively modified; that is what makes the pain not

worthwhile because the people will not be better for it come 2019.

- Mr. Utibe Uko, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State * There should be a referendum nationwide for many sections of the constitution for either amendment or removal e.g. section 308. The situation of the country right now is beyond political parties per se. Okonjo Iweala attested to it that the last regime lacked culture of savings despite overflowing oil revenue windfall.

Also, it has only one product (oil) and absolutely nothing else. Let everybody clean the front of his/her house in terms of attitude and discipline to everything including religion and give rebuilding of this nation a chance again. God bless Nigeria.

- Mr. Oyekanmi Oladele, civil servant, Lagos State * We can only pray to survive this period as we did 1984-85. It will soon be 18 months and I bet it will be pains and more pains.

- Mr. Tunde Adejuwon, Ibadan, Oyo State * We have to suffer some hardship/ pain for our profligacy, incompetence and corruption of the past years. That said, the incumbent administration made certain promises that they cannot fulfill due to the economic realities of today.

The current hardship will ease away in due course if this administration gets the conception and implementation of their economic policies right. This state of affairs was predicted long ago by discerning economists. Our failure to heed the warnings is the reality we are facing now.

- Mr. Biodun Aiyegbusi, Water Engineer, Lagos * Nigerians need to be alive first to enjoy the gains of the current multifarious suffering.

- Miss Nkeiruka Abanna, Lagos State * One major undoing in the pursuit of one Nigeria to clamp down and strangulate the Eastern region was the abolishing of regions in place of States creation. Before this abolishment, East was great with palm produce, the West had cocoa, and North with agriculture. If Nigeria will still remain one, let us return to regions.

- Mr. Okechukwu Ikonne, Ogbor, OkeOvoro Mbaise, Imo State

* It is a matter of time, everything will be okay. Nigerians should exercise patience with this government with this government because they will take us to the promised land despite some challenges in our economy and other issues. Everyone will have cause to smile from PMB’s government. When a good thing is about to happen, it takes time. Let us believe in positive thinking and everything will be alright.

- Mrs. Ijeoma Nnorom, Lagos State * Yes, the pains are worthwhile because achieving sustainable foodstuffs, fuel or energy, employment require some patience, endurance, unity, patriotism e.t.c as Rome was not built in a day, so to speak. No pain, no gain; all advanced nations passed through variously torturous routes to invent all the great amenities we all enjoy today.

We must not lose focus as the best opportunities and solutions reside in heinous challenges in history. God bless Nigeria.

- Mr. Apeji Onesi, Lagos

Next Week: In Fighting Corruption, is the EFCC Abusing its Powers?

Although the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is reported to have secured 140 convictions against accused persons in 6 months, there is no ex-governor or major personality among the convicts. Some analysts also believe the anti-corruption agency is lopsided in its prosecution, with no respect for rule of law. To you, is the EFCC abusing its powers in fighting corruption in Nigeria, or is it following due process in achieving the government’s desired goal? please make your response direct, short and simple, and state your full name, title, organisation, and location. Responses should be sent between today (April 14 & monday, April 18) to abimbolayi@yahoo.com, greatbimbo@gmail.com, AND abimbola. akosile@thisdaylive.com. Respondents can also send a short text message to 08023117639 and/or 08188361766 and/ or 08114495306. Collated responses will be published on Thursday, July 7

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DEVELOPMENT

Who will save Apapa and Lagos from flooding?

ABIMBOLA AKOSILE

Move Policy Thrust from Oil to Agriculture, Foundation Advises FG Sandra Ukele The Emeka Ikwuagwu Foundation has urged the Federal government to redirect its focus from oil and gas production to agriculture, in a bid to salvage the national economy and generate the necessary revenue to development and progress.

The call was made the president of the NGO, Mr. Emeka Ikwuagwu, at a recent press conference organised by the non-profit organisation in Lagos to address the plight of poor rural dwellers in the country.

Ikwuagwu affirmed there is an urgent need for the government to diversify the economy and break away from its sole dependency on oil production to building a stable economy based on

agricultural development.

He emphasised that there is a call for the expansion of functional developmental activities across all sectors.

The total dependence on oil revenue has left Nigeria handicapped and lazy, he noted.

According to Ikwuagwu the foundation is calling for an inclusive transformation in agriculture for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods; thus harnessing opportunities for inclusive growth and sustainable developments. He highlighted that the foundation has structured palliatives and commenced outreach programmes geared towards the betterment and education of rural dwellers.

He said, “There is a need to reinforce our efforts to

positively impact lives using our influence to attract opportunities for growth. When it comes to empowerment I see it from a perspective. I believe that empowerment could have a reference meaning when it is tailored according to personal passion.

“I do not believe in quick fix, keke (tricycle) and grinding machine kind of empowerment. In engaging people, we must consider sustainability, value and self -satisfaction,” he stressed.

Ikwuagwu maintained that all efforts must be channeled towards community development. He said this is because of the obvious deprivation rural communities are faced with lack of government presence and gross poverty.

He acknowledged that the government is saddled with

lots of responsibilities and may not have their concentration on the plight of rural dwellers though most of these communities have representation at state and federal levels.

Ikwuagwu continued that every opportune person should extend a helping hand to those in the rural areas. He said, “The earlier we begin to do something to alleviate the sufferings of our rural dwellers, the better our communities can get.”

The president of the NGO, who hails from Isiukwuato Local Government Area of Abia state, is the second child of his parents. He lost his father while in secondary school but help came his way through the goodwill gestures of a kind woman to further his education at the Federal Polytechnic

Nekede where he studied Estate Management.

Due to the difficulties he faced through his teenage years as a fatherless child Ikwuagwu decided to establish an NGO to address the needs of poor rural dwellers.

He observed that hi heart goes out to rural dwellers that are faced with lots of economic and health challenges. To him, “their pain the people in business of government do not come in terms with.

It is very sad that the only time most rural dwellers get to meet their state or federal representatives are mostly during re- election campaigns or festive periods.

The foundation has awarded scholarships to 20 pupils and 20 students. It hopes to extend the school programmes to university undergraduates

especially those in Abia state university.

The foundation has also donated materials to the 36 schools located in Isikwuato LG in Abia. The president of the foundation observed that uniforms are lacking in most schools, and to encourage academic excellence the organisation gives free uniforms to the best three students in each grade in primary schools.

Also, to encourage indigenous participation, local tailors are sourced to sew the school uniforms for the children.

The organisation is in talks with various government bodies to host debate, spelling bee, cultural, dance and drama competitions among students. Once the directive from the appropriate authority is received the events will kick off.

IPC Launches Devt Book on Makoko Communities Oluwafunke Lasisi The communities of Makoko, a sub area of Lagos Mainland has been thrown into joy as the International Press Centre (IPC) with the support of the UKaid and ActionAid to provide a lasting solution through launching of community books, which consist of needs to achieve their development aspirations.

The community book, tagged ‘Community Development Charter’ focused on Isale Iwaya, Erejuwa and Otumara all in Makoko were unveiled at a programme titled ‘Strengthening Citizens Engagement in Electoral Process’ (SCEEP) in Lagos.

The communities had been facing challenges of bad roads, equipment for health centres, provision of secondary schools,

more electric poles among others over the years, where they could not find solution to the problem.

The book’s objectives is to showcase information of Isale Iwaya, Erejuwa and Otumara communities contributing to the reduction of poverty and risks in the development at individual and family levels; and bring the experience, knowledge and aspirations of communities in one document for easy reading to public attention that will lead to the development of the community.

Speaking at the event, the Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade said his aim of assisting the communities is to enable the government provide their essential needs in the area, which seems to have been

forgotten after many reports on the happening disaster.

While giving a past experience on their book project in some communities being successful, he said the purpose of launching the community book in Makoko town was to call the government attention to the rural area to provide necessary needs in order to ease their living.

Arogundade appealed to the media and organisations to do an effective reporting on rural areas as it would help government to pay adequate attention on the area and provide them with necessary needs.

During an interactive session, the community people lamented that they are only remembered during election periods where they ask for their votes but after that they fail

with all the promises made concerning their welfare and other social amenities.

The communities also appealed to the government to remember development in the rural area because they are total left out of the agenda.

National Coordinator, Democracy Vanguard, Adeola Soetan said a bottom to top approach to development and good governance is the best way for the country.

He encouraged the communities to appreciate the civic roles, responsibilities and enormous constitutional power they have and assert on their government at the grassroots level as citizens and electors to who government is primarily put in place to serve.

Soetan stressed that com-

munities should mobilise the government to be active participants on how they want to be governed, which includes involvement and input of budget preparations and tracking, choice of developmental projects, monitoring projects and contractors.

He advised them to have regular meetings with elected/ appointed representatives to assess performance, evaluate feedback for effective information dissemination and useful communication management between government and the governed.

He added that to achieve the goals stated above, the roles of Community Development Authority (CDA), Landlord and tenant association, youth and student groups, trade unions and artisan groups,

market women, media and civil society groups should focus on democracy.

The Executive Secretary, Mainland Local Government, Omolola Essien assured cooperation and good governance towards the communities which are in Mainland and Yaba axis.

Other objectives of the book are to generate baseline data for the outcome indicators on IPC/ActionAid’s strategies; and information on the contexts of the community as a basis for the development and by means of achievement, the process was said to include community visits, daily debriefing meetings with the partner team and community facilitators, final debriefing/validation meeting and development of report on findings.

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DEVELOPMENT QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“frankly, i will not plead for the report of the conference ( 2014 national conference) to be considered by this government. governments come and governments go. the problems will remain. we will all be judged by whether we were part of the solution or part of the problems” - FORMER FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER AND DEPUTY NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF THE 2014 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, PROF. BOLAJI AKINYEMI, IN A STATEMENT ISSUED IN LAGOS

High Commission Promotes Top Nigerian Secondary Schools UK Fair Clement Danhutor

Abidjan-Lagos Corridor: UNAIDS, ECOWAS, FG Target 27m People on Health Security Paul Obi in Abuja The United Nations AIDS (UNAIDS) Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) and the federal government have unveiled a global health security targeting about 27 million people within the Abidjan - Lagos Corridor, made up of Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire and Benin Republic.

Declaring open the first annual statutory meeting of the Abidjan - Lagos Corridor Organisation (ALCO) Governing Board, Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole said stakeholders are primarily concerned in tackling issues of health security, transport, HIV/AIDS and other socioeconomic challenges.

The minister represented by Dr. Segilola Araoye, explained that “Abidjan - Lagos Corridor is about 1,022 kilometres, across the following five countries; Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. Every year, about 27 million passengers including many traders and 140,000 truckers use this road and ports.

“The impact of HIV/AIDS especially in the African region is exacerbated by socio-economic and cultural factors while effecting control has been challenging because of weak health systems,” Adewole stressed.

The minister further stated that “the Abidjan - Lagos Corridor handles 65 per cent of economic activity in the region, thus the importance of establishing and sustaining interventions in the corridor project cannot be over-emphasised.”

UNAIDS Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Bilali Camara on his part harped on the need for concerted efforts across the West African region to ensure that health security challenges like HIV/AIDS within the corridor are addressed.

Camara maintained that “what is critical is to ensure that health security,

As the countdown intensifies for the second edition of Top Nigerian Secondary Schools UK Education Fair, the Nigerian High Commission, UK has reiterated its support for the programme, stating that there is need to give the Nigerian Child proper and quality education, moral training, and adult monitoring.

The Minister/Head (Consular Education & Welfare) Nigeria High Commission London, Mrs. Folake Abdulrazaq, stated that with the current very high standards of the Nigerian Secondary School Education System, it will be great if parents in the UK explore this advantage.

This is viewed against the background that in the UK, it is tradition to take two or more jobs in order to give children decent and quality life, coming with its backlash as parents get to spend less time monitoring the children.

To this end, the High Commission has reached out to various Nigerian organisations, community leaders and stakeholders in the UK and their Mayors to enjoin all Nigerian parents to attend the fair, to meet these schools and their representatives.

Events for the fair will start with the first UK-based Nigerian Parents Forum; with the theme ‘The Change Vision - Nigeria’s Future and the Role of Parents in Children’s Career Choices’, on July 16 between 10 am and 12 at the University Square Stratford where the Nigerian High Commission and the UK Home office will be fully represented to brief parents on the importance of exploring this great opportunity in Nigeria.

Other speakers include school owners, parents that have sent their children to schools in Nigeria and society leaders. The Education fair will then be officially declared open at the same venue and will run through the weekend of July 16 to 17 till 6pm daily.

CEO of Brand Edge Limited, Mr. Femi Akinwunmi, (organiser of the Fair), stated that some Nigerians like Mrs. Winifred Awosika of Chrisland College; Mrs. Leila Fowler of Vivian Fowler Memorial College; Mrs. Nike Adamolekun of S.E.F and late Mrs. Funlayo Olaitan of Fountain Heights have over the years championed the cause of making the Nigerian Child globally competitive.

Health is wealth

particularly in the area of HIV/AIDS becomes an integral part of the region’s socio-economic policies.”

Also, Director General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) Prof. John Idoko stated that “key decisions have been taken to improve ALCO management and operations. We will take stock of them and see the way forward. They will be discussed in detail during the work session; but, let me highlight some of them: “Efforts of recovery of the arrears as at end of May 2016 is 94 per cent. Most of these arrears are paid. This undoubtedly, is a big relief for our Executive Secretariat, and I am appealing to the country members to continue with their efforts.”

Idoko observed that “currently, ALCO has received grants from the World Bank, the Global Fund, USAID, WAHO, UEMOA/AfDB, CDC, and UNEP. “The activities being implemented are related to HIV/AIDS, EBOLA, Health Security issues, climate change, road infrastructure, road security and safety, free movement of people and goods.

“The partnership and technical support with UNAIDS is still strong. This is the tangible proof that ALCO is gaining more and more confidence from our development partners,” the NACA DG stated.

Participants from Federal Ministries of Transport, Foreign Affairs, ECOWAS, the World Bank, the Nigerian Customs Service and others also attended the seminar.

L-R: Mrs. Folake Abdulrazaq and Mr. Femi Akinwunmi in a countdown to the fair activity holding July 16-17 in the UK

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UN MILLENNIUM CAMPAIGN / UN SDG ACTION CAMPAIGN

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE Living with Sickle Cell Disease

Acting Features Editor Charles Ajunwa Email charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com

People with sickle cell disease can live a normal life and achieve their dreams and aspirations if the condition is well managed. Martins Ifijeh writes

SCD is no more a death sentence

I

t took Yemi and her husband almost a year before they discovered that their child Banwo had sickle cell disease.

Though they knew all along that he was different from their previous two children, because his hands and feet were always warmer than usual, his feet unusually swollen, lack of sleep and appetite, and most significant was his constant cry.

They didn’t realise the sickle cell pain was the reason for the cry and other unusual features until they took him to their doctor.

With the doctor’s check, Yemi and her husband realised that their son had sickle cell disease, a condition that affects about 150,000 newborns in Nigeria yearly. They knew it wasn’t a little illness they could treat before leaving the hospital that day. Banwo will live with the disease the rest of his life, except the family decides to do a stem cell or bone marrow transplant, which is a tall order because of the financial implication and significant risk involved.

Yemi and her husband both have the sickle cell trait, AS, but their first two children were lucky not to inherit the SS genotype from them even though they still have the traits in them, as they are both AS. But Banwo wasn’t so lucky at it. The chances of parents with the sickle cell traits to give birth to an SS is 25 per cent.

“Despite the fact that we left the hospital depressed that day, I and my husband resolved to give Banwo all the care and support he needs to be able to live a normal life like his brother and sister. We made sure he takes his drugs as at when due, make sure he doesn’t run around the house excessively and made sure he is kept in check even at school,” she said.

Yemi, whose husband is a senior lecturer at the University of Lagos, said since eight years ago that Banwo was born, she has devoted her time to learning new and better ways to manage his health issue, which she said was paying off.

“While growing up in Abeokuta, we often have the belief that a child with sickle cell disease doesn’t last more than few years,” adding that it was often believed that their lifespan was very short because of the resultant

crisis due to the disease. “Now I know an SS can live up to a 100 years if properly managed. My son is eight years old now and he is doing fine. People need to understand it is not a death sentence,” she said.

She, however lamented that even with the high prevalence rate of the disease in the country, there was still no dedicated sickle cell centre in any of the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, as she has made inquiries on it.

She called on the government and stakeholders to intensify awareness on the disease, as well as its management, so that there will not be needless deaths of children in the country due to the scourge.

Yemi’s family is not the only one going through the management of sickle cell disease.

Millions of families across the country are grappling with the scourge, with majority knowing just little aboutthe disease.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria accounts for about 75 per cent of infant sickle cell cases in the continent with over 100,000 children dying from the scourge every year in the country, while 40 million Nigerians are carriers and an estimated one million persons living with sickle cell disorder, making it a prevalence rate that has resulted in Nigeria commonly referred to as the country with the highest level of sickle cell disorder in the world.

Despite the high incidence of the disease little is still known by Nigerians, especially those in rural and sub-urban areas, on the cause, management, prevention and a possible stem cell and bone marrow treatment.

Experts are of the opinion that the high death rate of the disease was highly preventable if there were proper management culture. They specifically advocate for increased awareness by stakeholders, Ministry of Health, health institutions, non governmental organisations and public spirited individuals.

Speaking with THISDAY, the Research Director, Fair Needs Africa, Lagos, Dr. Reuben Ogala said there exist proper management plans, such that persons living with it can lead normal lives and grow into old age.

“Gone are the days when sickle cell disease is a death sentence. A sickle cell person should

work closely with his or her doctor, eat good food and reduce unnecessary stress that could predispose them to crisis.

“In the United States, the life expectancy rate of a sickle cell person is 63 years, whereas the life expectancy of a person even without the disease in Nigeria is less about 50 years.

This, therefore tells you that with proper management of the disease, a sufferer can live even longer and healthier than someone without the disease,” he added.

He also explained that the scourge can be prevented through genetic counselling, adding that when intending couples are educated on the disease, genotypes, risks, among others, it will help them in making informed decisions on whether or not to marry someone with sickle cell disease, the trait or someone with AA genotype.

Ogala, said that when both parents have the AS genotype, there was possibility of one in every four of their children having the SS genotype which is the sickle cell disorder; a diseases such a person will suffer throughout his or her entire life. He explained that a child born of the AS genotype has the sickle cell trait and can as well give birth to someone with the trait or someone who has the sickle cell disorder. He believed that someone with AS genotype poses no threat until he or she mates with someone who also has the AS genotype or worse still, someone with SS genotype.

According to him, there are other situations where the sickle cell trait is combined with other hemoglobinopathies; abnormalities of the hemoglobin in the blood, which in itself poses a threat. He said that the major issues emanating from sickle cell disorder affects children more, as their tolerance level was low compared to that of an adult, making them more at risk of the disease.

According to experts, sickle cell anemia is a disorder of the blood that causes the red blood cells to blow into a sickle shape.

These cells however do not carry oxygen efficiently to areas of the body where it is needed.

Normal red blood cells have a 120-day life span, but people born with sickle cell disease have sickle-shaped blood cells that

usually live not more than 20 days. These sickle cells can get stuck in blood vessels, blocking blood flow and less blood flow can damage the body’s organs, muscles, and bones, sometimes leading to life-threatening conditions.

Also lending her voice, the National Director of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria, Dr. Annette Akinsetein, in an interview with THISDAY noted that in Nigeria, not many children with the disease grow into adulthood because of low awareness and management culture in the country She said gone were the days when SCD was a death sentence. “With proper information, the disease can be managed successfully, while the victim lead a normal life.”

She said contrary to beliefs in some areas that the disease was caused by witchcraft or ogbanje, that it was of genetic origin, which through counselling may be prevented, as the genotype of both parents play the role on whether their child will have the disease or not.

She called on the government to come up with newborn screening policy where SCD can be detected early in children. “This is done in the United Kingdom and the United States, and it has greatly helped in reducing number of crisis or deaths arising from it.

Shedding more light on how to tackle the scourge, the former permanent secretary, Ministry of Health, Lagos State, and pioneer Chief Medical Director, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr. Olufemi Olugbile, explained that due to the medical care available now, people hardly die young as it used to be because majority are living into full adults and even growing old.

According to him, people should be aware of their own genotype and that of their prospective partners. “Knowing the risks involved hopefully reduces the prevalence of it. Inasmuch as counseling has a major role to play, one cannot make a law that, if the partners’ genotype is not compatible, then they cannot get married. It should only be advisory. People should either take it or reject it. But generally, awareness is the key to reducing the disease,” he added.

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NEWS

Commissioners Advocate for Healthcare Funding Martins Ifijeh Health commissioners of Lagos, Ogun and Kwara State has advocated for proper financing of the healthcare, as well as health reform that would make the country’s health sector the envy of the world.

According to Lagos State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, the role of proper healthcare financing can not be over emphasised, adding that capacity building and health reforms were key to achieving the desired goal for the sector.

He said stakeholders need to pressure the government to fund healthcare and ensure the sector was reformed.

Idris, who spoke in Lagos during PharmAccess Strategy Day on Nigeria, tagged; ‘Mak-

ing health markets work for low-income people in Nigeria’ noted that the major problem with the sector lies with those who run the country’s health system, stressing that many lacked the capacity to function effectively, adding that many of them were not computer literates, hence would be unable to move with the times For Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, Dr Ipaye, poor funding of healthcare was one of the primary issue affecting the growth of the sector, advising that the Federal Government should invest in the sector. “The present three percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to healthcare is poor. There should be more funding,” he added.

Dr. Ipaye explained that it was impossible for the healthcare system to develop if the central government get 52 per cent of the revenue and the remaining 48 per cent shared between all states and local government, adding that another problem facing the healthcare system was the low capacity of curriculum from every practitioner.

The Commissioner for Health, Kwara State represented by Dr. Omar Ibrahim Hassan, also added that the major problem facing the healthcare is funding, He mentioned that Kwara State have about 400 healthcare centres, 14 general hospitals, three specialist hospitals, yet only 140,000 out of three million have access to healthcare

US Partners Nigeria to Increase Access to HIV/AIDS Treatment services.

On her part, the Country Director, PharmAccess Foundation, Njide Ndili said her organisation was interested in increasing access to inclusive quality health care for low income communities in Nigeria.

According to her, lack of access to inclusive quality healthcare was one of the primary challenges facing the country. This, she said, was in spite of the efforts being undertaken by stakeholders in the industry. Adding that the programme was organised to facilitate discuss among key players to get response from stakeholders, long standing partners, new and potential partners on how best to deliver healthcare to Nigerians.

RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Global Health Project/Convener, Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA), Dr. Wale Alabi; Winner of Healthcare Media Excellence Award-Print, Mr. Martins Ifijeh of Thisday Newspaper Group and Chairman, Advisory Board of NHEA, Dr. Anthony Omolola, during the NHEA 2016 award presentation ceremony in Lagos ...recently.

PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

The Bridge Clinic Dedicates NHEA Award to Couples Battling Infertility

Adorable Foundation Carries out Anti-Drug Campaign in Lagos

Martins Ifijeh

Peter Uzoho

The Bridge Clinic, Nigeria’s foremost and leading fertility clinic and winner of the IVF Service Provider of the Year award at the 2016 Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award, held in Lagos recently, has dedicated the award to couples battling infertility in Nigeria.

In his post presentation remarks, the Clinic’s Corporate Marketing and Corporate Communications Coordinator, Dr. Ekundayo Omogbehin, said the award was a further attestation of the company’s successes in the field of fertility management, and called on the society to understand that infertility was just another medical condition that can be treated or, at least, managed if the couple seeks prompt and appropriate medical attention.

According to him, “the burden of infertility, especially in this part of the world is better imagined than experienced.

Due to the lack of education on the issues of infertility,

these couples are subjected to a lot of discrimination as if their infertility is as a result of their actions or inactions. For this prejudice, we dedicate this award to them and encourage them to seek early and appropriate medical attention for their health condition.”

He thanked God, who made the Clinic “worthy instruments to bring about His miracle of life” as well as the jury and organizers of the awards ceremony for electing The Bridge Clinic for the coveted award, the second in two years (2015 and 2016).

“We are especially grateful to God for the successes we have recorded including our over 40 percent pregnancy rate, birth of over 2023 babies in our 16 years of operations and the recent live birth from a frozen egg. All these are courtesy of our experience, highly trained personnel, international affiliation with the leading IVF clinic in Europe, the renowned IVF Centres Prof Zech, and our cutting edge technology,” he continued.

Adorable Foundation International recently carried out an anti-drug sensitisation and awareness creation campaign in Lagos to mark this year’s World International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking.

Flagging off the event on Sunday in Lagos, Founder and President, Adorable Foundation International, Princess Ada Okeke, said the event was meant to support the United Nations and the Nigerian Government in fighting the issue of drug abuse through creating awareness on the dangers of the scourge.

She observed that the country is currently experiencing cases of mental and psychological depression and related ills resulting from drug use, noting that the Foundation had to contribute in fighting the scourge.

“Right now in our country, we’re experiencing cases of mental and psychological depression and so many other

things resulting from drug use.

So we believe that we have to contribute to fighting it by supporting the United Nations in creating awareness and enlightening the people about the harmful effect of drug abuse.

“So today, we’re flagging it off here in Lagos. We’ll go on a road walk to sensitise Lagosians.We intend to carry this campaign nationwide; Abuja is on as we’re doing it here in Lagos, Awka is also doing it.Adorable Women will go all round in creating this awareness”, she added.

Speaking, the Superintendent of Narcotic, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos, Mallum Musa, said the theme for this year’s Drug Day “Listen First” was carefully selected to inform parents that drug has taken a new dimension, saying that parents should therefore listen to their children’s conversations.

He said that users and sellers of hard drugs have adopted names not familiar to parents in order to confuse them.

Rebecca Ejifoma The United States of America has assured Nigeria of its unwavering commitment to increase the country’s access to HIV/AIDS and malaria testing and treatment, improving the quality of family planning and reproductive health services, as well as expanding access to immunisation for children and women.

The Deputy Chief of Mission, Maria E. Brewer, said this at the flagging off of activities and inauguration of the Joint West African Research Group in Ikeja, Lagos.

She noted that the US was deeply committed to working with Nigeria for many years to come. “One of the areas in which we continue to work very closely together is improving the health of the Nigerian people.”

Brewer noted: “The US Embassy’s Walter Reed Programme, supported through the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR, helps save the lives of those suffering from HIV. PEPFAR is a historic commitment — the largest by any nation to combat a single disease internationally — and PEPFAR investments also help alleviate suffering from other diseases across the globe.

“For 12 years, the US Department of Defence and the Nigerian Ministry of Defence have worked together to enhance HIV prevention, care, and treatment. This partnership has not only endured, but has also grown into a model for the way our military can work together effectively.

“The work this partnership does—fighting the spread of infectious diseases throughout

Nigeria—is as important today as it was 12 years ago. It is my honour to be here today to congratulate you on your many accomplishments and wish you well as you begin another 12 years of work,” she noted.

According to her, the 20142015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa revealed both great potential and deep deficiencies within the mechanisms for rapid medical response to public health emergencies.

“While global coordination resulted in controlling this epidemic, greater investment in public health infrastructure and surveillance systems could have yielded better preparation and response to the outbreak.

“A significant amount has been awarded to the US Military HIV Research Programme at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and to the Naval Medical Research Centre. This funding supports laboratory and clinical capacity building through military-to-military collaborations and academia,” she disclosed.

Meanwhile, when asked how effective the programme had been since the 12 years partnership, the Corp Commander, Medical, Major General Abimbola Amusu, explained: “I think this programme has been able to address tuberculosis and improve the access to it.

The resurgence of tuberculosis was due to the increase in the cases of HIV/AIDS.” She, therefore, urged African leaders to pay more attention to health as well as commit more funds into healthcare.

“They shouldn’t think health is just any other field. These are what they should do to stop the emergence of epidemic in their country.”

LASUTH Performs Cochlear Implant Surgeries on 10 Patients Martins Ifijeh The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), has successfully performed cochlear implant surgeries on 10 patients Revealing this at a press briefing earlier in the week, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Wale Oke said the patients who were recuperating in the ward, can now hear clearly, adding that the Lagos State government paid N70 million to the hospital for the surgery.

While optimistic that the patients can live a normal life now, the CMD added that they will be sent to speech therapists to help them in speaking.

He said the hospital hopes to restore hearing to more as it now has necessary infrastructure and expertise. “This is the first time that a hospital in Nigeria has done this number of surgeries to restore hearing,” he said.

Head, LASUTH Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) department, Dr. Vincent Adekoya, said cochlea implant surgery was carried out on the patients because they have hearing loss, which could not be addressed by hearing aids.

He said the cochlea implant will pick sound through its microphone in the audio processor, adding that the audio processor analysis and codes sounds into a special pattern of digital information.

“This information is sent and transmitted across the skin to the implant. The implant interprets the code and sends electrical pulses to the electrodes in the cochlea. The auditory nerve picks up the signals and sends them to the auditory centre in the brain. The brain recognises these signals as sounds or hearing,” Adekoya said.

He said hearing loss can be as a result of congenital problems, such as chromosomal abnormalities (mutations and inherited problems), diseases associated with prenatal infection, maternal drug abuse and environmental factors.

An ENT consultant at the hospital, Dr. Adeyinka Adesegun recommended neonatal screening.

“The best time to screen babies for hearing is the first day up to the third month. And this can be done till the sixth months and one year before people can conclude that a child is actually deaf,” he said.

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Reducing Hearing Disability in Nigeria People with sickle cell disease can live a normal life and achieve their dreams and aspirations if the condition is well managed. Martins Ifijeh writes It is no longer news that about five per cent of the world population are suffering from one form of hearing disability or the other, representing about360 million people across the globe, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). What seems to be the news is that this number is predicted to increase in the coming years, especially in low and middle income countries like Nigeria where there are no significant approaches and will power to tackle the scourge.

Recently, according to the Chief Executive Officer of International Centre for the Prevention of Deafness and Rehabilitation of Hearing Impaired Persons (ICPDRHIP), Dr. Audu Eneche, about 6.7 per cent of Nigerians were suffering from hearing disability, meaning that of the country’s 180 million persons, over 12 million of them were either deaf or going deaf in the country.

But with millions of Nigerians suffering from the scourge, one then wonders why there is still much gap in tackling the disability through awareness on its prevention, treatment and management.

It is in addressing this gap across the country that MTN Foundation, through its Hearing Aid Support Project (HASP) is set to distribute over 1,500 hearing aid devices in the six geo-political zones of the country, thereby giving life back to those who are unable to hear.

Beneficiary states of the sixth phase of the project are Akwa Ibom, Benue, Lagos, Bauchi, Katsina and Anambra.

According to the Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Ms. Nonny Ugboma, the project was birthed to compliment government’s efforts to help restore hearing to people with hearing disabilities across Nigeria, adding that they will continue to be committed to the inclusion of hearing impaired people into the society, which in turn will enhance their participation in social and economic activities in the country.

While narrating the importance of paying attention to solving hearing problems in the country, Eneche, whose organisation partnered with MTN Foundation to provide the hearing aids to affected Nigerians, explained that stories of people with disabilities suggest that they were not the only ones affected by the scourge, but people around them as well, thereby increasing the burden of the disability to several millions of persons.

Explaining, he said, ‘’there was an experience of a couple, both of whom were deaf. The lady, while receiving her hearing aid explained that one day, while she was cooking, she parboiled rice and poured the water in a bowl. Her little child crawled to the water and dipped her two hands into the hot water. Unfortunately, the child did not have the reflex to pull out her hands from the hot water. Both hands totally got burnt and were amputated. Only if the mother could hear the sound of her daughters cry, may be the story could have been different,” adding that the woman’s disability had in turn affected the daughter who is now without hands.

He noted that in one of the places where the hearing aids assessment was done, they met a 15-year-old girl in Gombe who was deaf

L-R: Country Director, International Center for Prevention of Deafness and Rehabilitation of Hearing Impaired Persons (ICPDRHIP), Mr. Eneche Audu; Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Ms. Nonny Ugbom, and Consultant ENT, Neck and Head Surgeon, National Hospital Abuja, Dr. Job Amodu at the inspection of hearing aids provided by MTN Foundation in Lagos ...recently

and blind. “In her case, she is a human being trapped in her own body, a prisoner of herself because there is no sight, nor sound. How then do you express yourself? How do you say I want to eat or play? You just sit, wait for your food, go to the toilet and then sleep. It is a very difficult and unpleasing life to live, the life of the deaf and blind,” he said.

Speaking further, he said, “another experience that really touched my heart is that of a deaf pastor who visited a hospital in Jos. After testing him with a hearing aid, he could hear the sound within his vicinity that hitherto he could not hear. He got really excited. Despite being told that the hearing aid is for those who can use it to hear and speak, the pastor insisted that he wanted the hearing aid.

According to him, he felt like someone who was resurrected from the dead because he could hear sound even if they do not make meaning to him,” he noted.

He explained that there were millions of Nigerians suffering due to hearing loss but unable to provide solutions for themselves due to financial constraints or lack of awareness on what to do to manage the situation. Adding that, the hearing aid project will help in no small measure to tackle such.

But how can hearing loss be prevented, especially in a country where there are no specific policies to tackle the disability? He

explained that in terms of rehabilitation, one must consider the health factors which include the cause of the hearing loss and the treatment.

“After treatment, we then consider if there will be need for a hearing aid or not. Our team comprises doctors who are specialists in ear, nose and throat treatment. During our programmes, the doctors conduct comprehensive tests on the persons and determine what level of intervention will be required to assist and rehabilitate the individuals. The intervention may be the prescription of drugs, surgery or the provision of hearing aids. With these interventions, these affected individuals are reintegrated back into the society.”

He commended MTN Foundation for “being the only known body that has come out to really help persons with hearing impairment to be reintegrated back into the society and have better quality of life. Yes, the input has brought a paradigm shift which is positively changing the narratives about hearing impairment in Nigeria.

“In the first five phases of the disability support project, MTN Foundation has given out 1,500 hearing aids. We are presently on the sixth phase and the Foundation is planning to give out double of what they have donated in the past five years,” he said.

Eneche, who has been managing deaf persons since 2001, said people often assumed deaf

people were aggressive, adding that the character they exhibit was simply because they cannot express themselves for people to understand.

“They are human beings, when they try to communicate to family and the public and they are not understood, what do you expect.

It’s a challenge for them.

“For instance, in a meeting where you have the deaf and the blind, the deaf man is likely to be left out in the conversation while the blind man can actively participate because he can hear what others are saying and as well make contributions. Most times, no one has the patience to do sign language to assist the deaf person; hence, he cannot contribute meaningfully. The deaf person is cut off and isolated from the basic unit of the society, which is the family. Because of this, you notice that they are bottled up with emotions that are negative.”

He explained that another constraint with the deaf was that people often consider them as idiots in the society, “because they just keep going without any substance. It is quite unfortunate that this perception exist,’’ he explained.

He advised persons having hearing loss to take care of their ears because they may not know how important it is until they lose it, adding that parents and families that have deaf persons must having patience while relating with them.

Deworming of 600,000 Children Commences in Cross River Bassey Inyang in Calabar A free mass deworming exercise for at least 600,000 children in Cross River State has commenced.

The deworming exercise which was formally flagged off on Tuesday at St Theresa Primary School New Netim, Odukpani Local Government Area would run through a period of one month.

Deputy Governor of the State, Professor Evara Esu, who was represented by the State

Commissioner for Education, Mr Goddy Etta, flagged off the deworming exercise.

It is being conducted by the state government in conjunction with Evidence Action(LA).

Lead Representative of EA ,Nigeria, Dr. Ima Chima,who commented on the deworming exercise for Schistomiasis and Soil Transmitted Helminthes, told journalists that it was school based with the target age bracket of 5 to 14.

Chima said event would be conducted in eleven out of the

eighteen Local Government Areas of the state as the exercise had already commenced in what would have been the twelveth.

Chima stated that the school based deworming has been scientifically researched and globally recognised as an effective health strategy.

Chima disclosed that it was the first time there mass deworming for such number of students would be conducted in the state.

She disclosed that adequate mobilisation has been done

across the state to ensure the deworming project succeeds.

The State (Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Coordinator, Dr Hillary Adie, informed journalists that: “These medicines are donated to us ane are given free of charge to all persons who should take them. The represetative of development partners especially USAID and Evidence Action who are supporting this initiative, we welcome you and thank the American people for supporting the state team to ensure success

in control activities.

“We seek further assistance in the release of approved funds, provision of vehicles that will facilitate delivery of services to the remote parts of the state.

“The exercise will target all persons five years and above and the medicines are for preventive chemotherapy Neglected Tropical Diseases; riverblidness, elephantiasis, bilhaerziasis and three types of soil transmitted worms,”he said.

He said the Local Government Areas are Bakassi, Akpabuyo,

Odukpani ,Biase,Etug, Yala, Ogoja, Obudu, Obanliku, Yakurr, Bekwarra and Obubra.

Director of Administration in the Ministry of Health, Elder Egu Omini, who represented the state commissioner for health lamented that support for health programmes from international donor agencies was on the decline.

He commended EA for their support for the conduct of the deworming exercise in the state, and appealed for more support from international donor agencies.

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Endometriosis: Between Medical Experts and Scientific Understanding Odimegwu Onwumere “Endometriosis poses a danger. The woman’s world could go into extinction if the menace is not arrested soon.”

The wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, said this in her keynote address as a Special Guest of Honour at the luncheon of Nordica Media Merit Awards 2016, held at the Endo Gala Night and Fund Raising Dinner in Lagos.

All over the world, about 89 million women have endometriosis, according to the Endometriosis Association, a research and advocacy group. Pitifully, many women have become their own pain manager for years, due to the gap between medical experts and scientific understanding.

“Why is the gap so huge between scientific understanding of the disease and the treatment people are getting? There’s a lack of understanding in the medical community of what options are available and what symptoms to look for,” said Dr. Grace Janik, a reproductive surgeon in Milwaukee.

Women are structured in the same mechanism, but specialists have said that six to 10 per cent of the general female population is inflicted with the wreck. “The medical teaching on endometriosis was that it’s a disease of women in their reproductive years, not adolescents.

Many times, we hear that girls are told they’re too young to have the disease, they’re trying to get out of school, or that they’re exaggerating.

“Add the misconception that pain with menstruation is normal, and you get a bundle of confusion. And not the least, most gyneacologists are uncomfortable treating adolescent gynecological problems, and pediatricians don’t,” said Mary Lou Ballweg, the president and executive director of the Endometriosis Association.

In mid 1980s, British, and Australian endometriosis groups were set up. It was notable that members of the public had bowel symptoms as at the time, but it took the efforts of few connoisseurs to notice that bowel symptoms were a widespread symptom of endometriosis.

“It was only when the national endometriosis groups began talking to leading gynaecologists about the experiences of their members that doctors began to look for and find bowel symptoms in their patients.

“Sometimes the gynaecologist will refer the woman to a bowel specialist if he or she is not sure whether the bowel symptoms are due to endometriosis or another cause,” said a global forum for news and information, endometriosis.org.

Many women who have had “pelvic floor disorder” were approved pelvic muscle exercises for days, most times, “three times a day”. When some teenagers have some gynecological disorder, they do not want to complain; they deal with it in order not to be disdained by their wards and due to the ignorance of understanding endometriosis.

The irony is that in a country like the USA with her hi-tech, among a rough estimation of six million women suffering from endometriosis, most women with the disease were said, started having the symptoms before the age of 20, without their doctors or them knowing what the disease was.

Ajayi are working round the clock in making sure that the plague is managed.

Ex-Beauty Queen Oshinowo lamented that endometriosis was reducing the feature of life of women since evidence was yet to be shown that medical-surgical conduct drastically boosts fertility among the affected without the application of therapies.

Many women had ascribed endometriosis with ethnic colouration, not taking to the fact that it is the “presence of endometrial-like tissue (glands and stroma) outside the uterus”.

“A lot of women who are looking for relief from endo will undergo a hysterectomy, and that won’t necessarily provide a relief from their symptoms,” said Dr. Linda M. Nicoll, an assistant professor in obstetrics and gynaecology at NYU Langone Medical Centre.

In most cases, about 25 to 50 per cent of unproductive women have endometriosis without them knowing.

Endometriosis in Nigeria Whereas Nigeria is just coming to terms with the reality of endometriosis through the efforts of Dr. Ajayi in the area of sensitisation and taking medical care, countries in Europe and America had over two decades been making donations towards the fight against the disease.

There was an announcement by the Public Health Executive Agency of the European Union on May 10th, 2007, that a €296,000 grant was bestowed to a European league of universities and patient support organisations in creating wakefulness about endometriosis in Europe. A source added, “In financial terms, one analysis estimated that endometriosis cost the U.S. $22 billion in 2002, including hospitalisations, loss of work, surgery, and medications.”

Misconception about endometriosis has greatly affected its management

Not sleeping on their oars Ex-Beauty Queen Nike Oshinowo whose authentication at the Nordica Media Merit Awards 2016, of how endometriosis has been an unfriendly friend, brought tears down her jaws.

While testifying on the podium about the presence of endometriosis, she asked for the reason doctors and scientists keep on telling the world what endometriosis is and are yet to find a cure.

Despite the fact that there is no cure for endometriosis yet, many medical experts are not sleeping on their oars and watch women gnash their teeth in pains as a result of the disease.

The Nordica Fertility Centres in Lagos, Asaba, Ibadan, are carrying journalists along in the sensitisation of the disease. Many Nigerians at home that have heard about the disease

know what it means through the fervent task that Dr. Ajayi has been taking to liberate the women’s world in Nigeria from the scourge.

Uncountable numbers of children have been delivered of women at the Nordica Centres; women who once had challenges of fertility.

Over 300 cases of endometriosis have been diagnosed and being treated at the Nordica Centres. Here and there is the Nordica Fertility Centres holding sensitisation march.

Apart from fibroid which is a known factor that causes infertility in women, Dr. Ajayi has exposed the ugly handiwork of endometriosis as among the key causes of pain during sexual intercourse and infertility in women.

Misconception of endometriosis All over the world, therapeutic measures that relief of clinical symptoms is yet far from being curative; and medical experts like Dr.

Researchers’ viewpoints “In a study of 229 women undergoing surgery for endometriosis, French researchers found that those with the most extensive form – known as deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) – were more likely to have had particularly painful periods as teenagers,” reported Reuters, a news outfit.

Dr. Ajayi had informed about the three forms of endometriosis in the company of superficial endometriosis, ovarian endometriomas and DIE. He said that the latter was largely widespread. In making sure that the endometriosis sensitisation reaches the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, Dr. Ajayi and his team, hosted the ‘Nordica Media Merit Awards 2016’.

The awards which were meant for the news items published or broadcasted the previous year had many entries from journalists across the country. Three journalists in the categories of the Print, TV and Digital smiled home with the some of N250, 000, each.

The award-winning journalists had been remunerated with the prize money for their efforts in contributing to women’s fertility sensitisation, hence making the ‘Nordica Media Merit Awards 2016’ a reality that journalists should gear up in preparation for the next contest.

Odimegwu Onwumere is a Rivers State-based poet, writer and consultant and winner, in the digital category, Nordica Media Merit Awards 2016. Email: apoet_25@yahoo.com

PathCare Nigeria Wins Best Private Laboratory Service Provider at NHEA Awards Nigeria’s only ISO certified pathology laboratory, PathCare Nigeria, has won the 2016 Private Laboratory Service Provider of the Year Award from the prestigious Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Awards (NHEA).

Presenting the award to the Laboratory in Lagos recently, Global Health Project and Resources (GHPR), organizers of the award, extolled PathCare

Nigeria and other awardees for the excellence they bring to bear in the conduct of their businesses which earned them the awards.

According to the chairman of NHEA Advisory Board, Dr. Omolola Anthony, the award, often dubbed the Oscar of the Nigerian Healthcare recognition, is an annual event for recognition and celebration of outstanding

personalities and organisations for their contribution to the healthcare sector through innovative, efficient and qualitative healthcare delivery services that have significantly impacted the health and wellbeing of the citizens.

Receiving the award, the Quality and Technical Coordinator, Pathcare Laboratories Nigeria, Dr Tolulope Adewole,

thanked the organisers for the recognition they gave to PathCare Nigeria and promised that the company will remain steadfast in its pursuit of quality service provision in the health sector.

For Adewole, the essence of quality testing cannot be overemphasised. “Any issue of misdiagnosis is an issue of quality and any life lost to misdiagnosis is an avoidable

loss. It is actually an injustice to the patient and a big blow to his or her family and friends. To avoid this loss, it is important to note that there is no room for error in the healthcare sector.”

The Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Awards is an initiative of Global Health Project and Resources (GHPR), one of West Africa’s leading Healthcare Management

and Consultancy Company, involved in the promotion of healthcare business in West Africa, in collaboration with Anadach Group USA. The 2016 awards event, which held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, was graced by healthcare stakeholders, medical practitioners, leaders from private and public organizations, policy makers and dignitaries.

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ADVERTORIAL

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016

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ADVERTORIAL

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THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 • T H I S D AY

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Report: 70% of Bankable Adults Keep Money Away from Banks James Emejo in Abuja Citing corruption, instability and distrust within the banking system, 70 percent of bankable adults in the country still preferred to keep their money away from the banks, a report sponsored by the Centre for Finance, Law and Policy (CFLP), Boston University has stated.

The study, which centered on “Consumer Perceptions and Saving Behaviour” of Nigerians in the aftermath of the 2009 audit of commercial banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), stated that respondents were more concerned about banks’ reputation and stability as determining factors in their choice of banking.

The 2009 audit had among other things, revealed a third of the existing 24 commercial banks were critically insolvent.

Authors of the report-Assistant Professor of Economics, Boston University, Kehinde Ajayi and Researcher, African Studies Center, Boston University, Dr. Omale Ali Garba said the objective of the study was to understand what factors influence people’s disposition to using the formal banking system for financial services.

Ajayi said although the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) claimed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had sufficient

information about the banks on its website for people to access the information relating to the health of financial institutions, most Nigerians still don’t have access to these critical information.

“We also made the point that some people in the villages don’t have access to the Internet and so can’t go online to look for such information about the banks,” she told THISDAY at a workshop in Abuja.

The report further said there was lack of information on how the banks are doing.

Ajayi said: “A key message for the regulators is the fact that people are not aware, even though they’ve been doing a lot to make the information available, by publishing it on the websites...most people are not aware they could go and find out about how their banks are doing.”

She said: “They should think about sharing that information more widely, encouraging people to be financially literate because banks are competing for consumers and should know that if they are not behaving well, the costumes would go somewhere else, and so they will try to behave in a more responsible manner.

“People care about stability but they don’t have access to the information. Most people also say the reason they don’t

have a bank account is that they don’t have money; because they don’t have regular income.

But at the same time, a lot of people say they’re saving money which means they must have money they are choosing not to put in the banking system. I think it’s a combination of people having enough money...increasing level of income reduce poverty when people have more money, then they’ll be more willing to put in the banks.”

Participants further raised concerns over what they termed as excessive bank charges which had discouraged individuals from patronising the banking system while others chided the banks for putting out complex requirements for owning a bank account.

A participant said the banks often deceived customers into signing documents which they only know their implications only after it’s rather too late-giving the banks leeway to fleece their customers.

Among other things, the report called for increased financial interest and literacy in order to increase trust in banks and reduce the negative consequences following a financial crisis.

It said regular information about bank stability and practices would increase consumer welfare and incentivize banks to maintain integrity in order to retain customers.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS (MILLION NAIRA) MARCH 2016 Broad Money (M2)

20,470,436.00

-- Narrow Money (M1)

9,040,817.68

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,441,365.03

---- Demand Deposits

7,599,452.65

Adetu Appointed Fidelity Bank’s Nonexecutive Director

-- Quasi Money

11,429,618.32

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

5,551,714.27

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

14,918,721.73

Nume Ekeghe

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

22,664,815.74

---- Credit to Government (Net)

3,782,578.01

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

4,991,246.39

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

-1,208,668.38

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

18,882,237.7

--Other Assets Net

-7,746,094.02

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,758,634.07

--Currency in Circulation

1,811,090.48

--Banks Reserves

3,383,756.72

Fidelity Bank Plc has announced the appointment of Chief Seni Adetu, as an Independent Non-executive director of the bank.

Adetu, the immediate past Managing Director of Guinness Nigeria Plc, according to a statement from the bank brings to the board, 30 years of quality private sector experience having worked at the highest levels with John Holt Plc, Coca-Cola International and Diageo/Guinness Plc in different countries within and outside Africa.

He was at various times Managing Director of Coca-Cola, English West Africa based in

Ghana (2001); the first African Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice Chairman of Guinness Ghana Plc (2006), Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Diageo East Africa based in Kenya (2009) and until December 2014, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Guinness Nigeria Plc and Executive Chairman, Diageo Brands Nigeria.

Adetu has considerable expertise in commercial, financial and governance best practices, gained from his experience with Diageo in the United Kingdom (UK) and leadership development programs with Coca-Cola

in the United State (US). A great marketer, renowned for championing innovation in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, Adetu was named Runner Up Forbes/ CNBC Business Leader/CEO of the Year 2012 in East Africa.

Founder/Group CEO of First Primus W.A. Limited, an upscale Integrated Marketing Communications company, Adetu is a Leadership Coach and facilitates on the Chief Executive Program of the Lagos Business School.

He is a Chemical Engineering graduate and an MBA holder (with specialisation in Marketing), both from the University of Lagos. He is married with children.

Fets, ChanjaDatti Provide Financial Inclusion for IDPs Fets, Nigeria’s licensed mobile money operator in Nigeria is collaborating with ChanjaDatti on a financial inclusion programme aimed at empowering the internally displaced women at the New Kuchingoro IDP Camp, Durumi, Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory.

ChanjaDatti is a social enterprise that currently collects waste plastic and transforms them into flakes or bales, which are then supplied to off-takers/recyclers for use in the manufacture of various other products.

Fets and ChanjaDatti’s collaboration is expected to empower the displaced women through ChanjaDatti’s Recycredit scheme.

By collecting or supplying recyclables to ChanjaDatti, the women are able to earn points which can be immediately

converted to cash-in-wallet, on the fets wallet mobile money operation platform, In order to offset issues with proximity to banks from the camps situated in remote areas and high cost of opening bank accounts, fets is utilising this programme to introduce these women to a formal banking system through an electronic platform. A mobile phone company will also provide the women mobile phones handsets to aid mobile transaction.

Commenting on the development, Managing Director of Fets, Omotade Odunowo, said: “We are delighted to partner with an organisation like ChangaDatti on a programme like this as we strive towards seeking platforms for positive reformation and total empowerment for these

vulnerable women.”

According to her, the company is strongly inspired by the efforts of these women who are obviously keen to seek ways to rebuild themselves and families after the devastation they have suffered and are excited by the opportunities that are now available. “fets is not only introducing the fast growing world of technologyto them but also mobile-money operations on an easy,safe and seamless platform,” she added.

Speaking in the same vein, Chief Executive Officer of ChanjaDatti, Olufunto Boroffice, said:“Our technology driven world is a manifest of innovations propelled by advances in technology, which also enhances environmentally sustainable development.

• Source - CBN

MANAGED FUNDS Initial Price (N) Stanbic Balanced Fund

Buying Price(N)

Selling Price

1,660.29

1,685.29

Stanbic IBTC NEF

1,000.00

11,002.32

11,326.67.11

Stanbic SIBond

20

120.47

120.47

Stanbic IBTC Ethical

1

1.10

1.13

Stanbic IBTC GIF

142.90

143.38

UBA Balanced Fund

1.2563

1.2493

UBA Bond Fund

1.3443

1.3443

UBA Equity Fund

0.8205

0.8074

UBA Money Market Fund

1.1510

1.1510

ARM Aggressive Growth Fund

N13.0544

N13.4480

ARM Discovery Fund

N288.2515

N296.9425

ARM Ethical Fund

N22.5268

N23.2060

ARM Money Market Fund

13.1030 (Yield % ) • Monetary Policy Rate - 13%

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT 28 JUNE 2016 The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $44.46 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $44.32 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The new OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Minas (Indonesia), Iran Heavy (IslamicRepublic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), EsSider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

53

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016

Nigeria’s top 50 stocks based on market fundamentals

29-June-16 28-June-16

% Change

Capitalisation

EPS

P/E

P/S

Div. Yld

Price/ Book Value

Table 1 Market Statistics Mkt Indicators

Open Close Change % 28-June-16 29-June-16

NSE All Share Index NSE Market Cap (N'Trillion)

29,575.24 10.16

29,812.91 10.24

0.80 0.80

121.74 9.48

122.82 9.56

0.88 0.88

01 Dangote Cement Plc

194.00

192.11

0.98%

3,305,858,436,570.00

10.64

18.05

6.66

4.16%

5.08

02 Nigerian Breweries Plc

140.01

140.00

0.01%

1,110,153,415,328.88

5.37

26.08

4.02

2.57%

6.51

03 Guaranty Trust Bank Plc

23.25

22.32

4.17%

684,274,916,958.00

3.38

6.61

2.87

7.93%

1.59

04 Nestle Nigeria Plc

850.15

849.99

0.02%

673,876,712,637.80

29.95

28.38

4.45

3.41%

17.73

05 Zenith Bank Plc

16.00

15.65

2.24%

502,343,900,576.00

3.37

4.65

1.14

11.50%

0.83

Table 3 Top 5 Gainers

06 Lafarge Africa Plc

73.51

73.51

0.00%

334,830,832,053.10

5.93

12.40

1.25

4.08%

1.90

Stock

07 Ecobank Transnational Incorporated

16.51

16.70

-1.14%

302,951,090,559.65

1.39

11.99

0.59

3.71%

0.82

08 Forte Oil Plc.

194.03

191.00

1.59%

252,720,408,415.09

4.45

42.94

2.00

1.81%

5.38

09 Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd

340.00

340.00

0.00%

188,125,506,420.00

23.48

14.48

1.67

4.68%

0.67

10 United Bank for Africa Plc

4.80

4.72

1.69%

174,141,726,345.60

1.64

2.87

0.54

12.71%

0.51

11 Access Bank Plc

5.71

5.80

-1.55%

165,178,718,013.01

2.28

2.55

0.50

9.48%

0.46

12 Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc

16.20

16.20

0.00%

162,000,000,000.00

2.04

7.95

1.37

0.62%

1.44

13 Guinness Nig Plc

106.40

106.40

0.00%

160,226,503,203.20

0.78

136.71

3.22

0.00%

3.58

14 FBN Holdings Plc

3.99

3.81

4.72%

143,222,218,240.08

0.42

9.03

0.27

3.94%

0.24

15 Unilever Nigeria Plc

33.00

33.00

0.00%

124,848,776,250.00

0.32

104.71

2.11

0.15%

15.60

16 P Z Cussons Nigeria Plc

23.00

23.00

0.00%

91,320,972,035.00

1.10

20.96

1.26

5.65%

2.17

17 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc

142.00

140.00

1.43%

90,963,831,546.00

11.12

12.59

1.15

1.57%

3.74

18 Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc

6.55

6.55

0.00%

78,600,000,000.00

0.96

6.81

0.78

7.63%

1.35

19 Oando Plc

6.20

6.27

-1.12%

74,614,637,142.80

0.50

12.54

0.13

11.96%

0.48

20 Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc

1.78

1.81

-1.66%

68,923,375,416.50

0.05

34.50

1.72

0.00%

0.80

21 Julius Berger Nig. Plc

50.93

48.51

4.99%

67,227,600,000.00

1.85

26.24

0.48

3.09%

2.64

22 International Breweries Plc.

19.99

19.99

0.00%

65,852,043,107.20

0.64

31.28

3.56

1.25%

5.47

23 Total Nigeria Plc

190.00

190.00

0.00%

64,509,149,030.00

11.92

15.94

0.31

7.37%

3.97

24 Mobil Oil Nig Plc

169.00

169.00

0.00%

60,940,599,278.00

13.51

12.51

0.95

4.26%

3.97

25 Flour Mills Nig. Plc

22.62

22.32

1.34%

59,360,245,169.94

1.84

12.12

0.18

8.96%

0.57

26 Diamond Bank Plc

2.21

2.22

-0.45%

51,184,459,619.28

0.24

9.09

0.24

0.00%

0.24

27 Sterling Bank Plc

1.44

1.44

0.00%

41,458,202,101.44

0.36

4.03

0.38

6.25%

0.43

28 Fidelity Bank Plc

1.33

1.27

4.72%

38,520,238,970.36

0.48

2.65

0.25

12.60%

0.20

29 U A C N Plc

19.99

19.99

0.00%

38,398,079,096.13

2.70

7.41

0.52

5.00%

0.52

30 Presco Plc

37.00

37.00

0.00%

37,000,000,000.00

3.28

11.28

3.26

0.27%

1.65

31 Cadbury Nigeria Plc

18.00

18.00

0.00%

33,807,636,720.00

3.21

5.61

1.00

7.22%

3.27

32 FCMB Group Plc

1.65

1.64

0.61%

32,674,472,788.65

0.24

6.82

0.21

6.10%

0.20

33 Wema Bank Plc.

0.81

0.75

8.00%

31,245,317,525.61

0.06

12.43

0.63

0.00%

0.63

34 Okomu Oil Palm Plc

32.00

32.00

0.00%

30,525,120,000.00

2.76

11.60

3.13

0.31%

2.53

35 Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig. Plc

23.02

23.02

0.00%

27,529,076,753.76

0.81

28.53

0.90

1.30%

2.09

36 Mansard Insurance Plc

2.50

2.58

-3.10%

26,250,000,000.00

0.16

16.30

1.63

1.94%

1.56

37 Cap Plc

34.68

34.68

0.00%

24,276,000,000.00

2.49

13.96

3.44

3.32%

15.97

38 Custodian And Allied Insurance Plc

4.00

4.00

0.00%

23,527,456,780.00

0.71

5.60

0.79

3.50%

0.90

39 National Salt Co. Nig. Plc

8.00

8.00

0.00%

21,195,507,024.00

0.79

10.07

1.31

6.88%

2.99

40 Skye Bank Plc

1.09

1.04

4.81%

15,129,528,536.90

0.85

1.22

0.11

28.85%

0.10

41 Honeywell Flour Mill Plc

1.84

1.93

-4.66%

14,591,563,690.72

0.14

13.66

0.31

8.29%

0.71

42 Unity Bank Plc

1.08

1.08

0.00%

12,624,484,977.36

0.54

1.99

0.20

0.00%

0.15

43 Continental Reinsurance Plc

1.12

1.14

-1.75%

11,617,473,629.44

0.21

5.52

0.60

10.53%

0.76

44 Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc

7.45

7.45

0.00%

9,362,249,356.70

0.96

7.79

0.72

1.34%

0.92

45 UACN Property Development Co. Limited

4.28

4.50

-4.89%

7,356,249,978.60

1.81

2.49

0.69

15.56%

0.23

46 Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc

4.24

4.24

0.00%

6,886,687,500.00

0.33

12.81

0.81

4.72%

1.13

47 Wapic Insurance Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

6,691,369,126.00

0.10

5.16

0.94

6.00%

0.45

48 Resort Savings & Loans Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

5,664,866,202.00

4.68

0.11

0.02

0.00%

1.89

49 AIICO Insurance Plc

0.71

0.71

0.00%

4,920,445,180.80

0.28

2.57

0.15

7.04%

0.51

50 Fidson Healthcare Plc

2.27

2.44

-6.97%

3,405,000,000.00

0.50

4.92

0.45

2.05%

0.58

TOTAL

9,562,907,099,853.60

TOTAL MARKET CAP

10,239,227,509,403.20

% OF MARKET CAP

93.39%

Annotation - MA* = Simple Moving Average

Thisday BGL 50 Index Thisday BGL 50 Market Cap (N'Trillion)

Open Close Change % 28-June-16 29-June-16

Wema Bank Plc. Julius Berger Nig. Plc Skye Bank Plc FBN Holdings Plc Fidelity Bank Plc

0.75 48.51 1.04 3.81 1.27

0.81 50.93 1.09 3.99 1.33

8.00 4.99 4.81 4.72 4.72

Table 4 Top 5 Losers Stock

Open Close Change % 28-June-16 29-June-16

Fidson Healthcare Plc UACN Property Development Co. Limited Honeywell Flour Mill Plc Mansard Insurance Plc Continental Reinsurance Plc

2.44 4.50

2.27 4.28

-6.97 -4.89

1.93 2.58 1.14

1.84 2.50 1.12

-4.66 -3.10 -1.75

Losing streak halts as ASI appreciates 0.80% Market pulse on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) today – Wednesday, June 29, 2016 was bullish close as the stock market closed green due to renewed optimism. This was further highlighted by positive performances from the NSE Sub sectors: Banking, Consumer Goods and Oil & Gas (Save Insurance). Furthermore, trading activities increased in volume as 305.81 million shares worth N2.85 billion in 4,640 deals exchanged hands today. This is an increase from the 255.25 million shares worth N3.30 billion in 4,812 deals carried out on Tuesday. Topping in volume terms was Access Bank Plc, Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc, UBA Plc while Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Nestle Nigeria Plc ended trading as the most active stocks in value terms.

The All Share Index (NSEASI) closed positive with a 0.80% (+237.67) increase to close at 29,812.91 from 29,575.24 the previous trading day. Market Capitalization appreciated in tandem to N10.24 trillion from N10.16 trillion of prior trading day. Similarly, the Thisday BGL 50 Index followed suit with an increase of 0.88% to close at 122.82 from 121.74 recorded the previous trading day, while its market capitalization stood at N9.56 trillion from N9.48 trillion of the previous trading day.

A total number of 24 stocks gained on the bourse today while 18 stocks declined, 62 leaving stocks unchanged. Wema Bank Plc emerged the day’s toast of investors as it again topped the Thisday BGL 50 Index gainers’ list with a gain of 8.00% to close at N0.81 per share. It was followed

by Julius Berger Nig. Plc with a gain of 4.99% to close at N50.93 per share. Others on the gainers list include: Skye Bank Plc, FBN Holdings Plc and Fidelity Bank Plc, while on the decliners’ list; Fidson Healthcare Plc led with a loss of 6.97% to close at N2.27 per share. It was followed by UACN Property Development Co. Limited with a loss of 4.89% to close at N4.28 per share.

Others on the losers list include: Honeywell Flour Mill Plc, Mansard Insurance Plc and Continental Reinsurance Plc. REQUIRED DISCLOSURE This report has been prepared by BGL Plc. BGL Plc does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports. As a result, the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should use this report as one of many other factors in making their investment decisions.

For more details go to www.thisdaylive.com

54 56

THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 • T H I S D AY T H I S D AY • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2016

MARKET NEWS MARKET NEWS

Cordros Capital Launches Products, New Identity Lafarge Africa Shareholders Approve 300kUnveils Dividend, Bonus Issue

Goddy Egene and Goddy Egene and Eromosele Abiodun Eromosele Abiodun

registered as brokers/dealers company’s by and issuing revenue house grew by the 2.5 per Stock cent Exchange against previous Nigerian (NSE) year’s, reachingand N267Exchange billion in a Securities The Managing Director and challenging market.

Shareholders of Lafarge Africa Commission (SEC). Strong cash of Cordros Capital Limited, amounting to N57.9 billion Plc on approved a flow Speaking at the unveiling (CCL), Mr.Monday Wale Agbeyangi, was also in generated for the year. per share ceremony Lagos, Agbayangi hasdividend assuredof 300 the kobo company’s In his address, Chairman, Board and a bonus of one new share customers of better services said: “I am very proud of the for every 10 shares held for the of Directors, Lafarge Africa Plc, as the firm unveiled a new strides Cordros has made; year ended December 31, 2015. Mr. Mobolaji Balogun noted that brandThe identity and launched from being a fringe player approval was given at 2015 was transformational and thefirst industry, to one of theof three products.

CCL is inthe full operational year the new company’s annual general top-ranked and well diversified a financial services firm duly meeting held in Lagos. The the new enlarged company.

brands. I am equally proud of have now built ahave sigour“We clients whose supports nificant platform to value been instrumental to drive our growth creation forcuriosity all stakeholders and whose inspiredand us particular,superior our shareholders. toindelivering investment I thank our shareholders and solutions.” my on the Board of Hecolleagues said the refreshed brand Directors for their support and uniquely projects the company’s commitment that ensured that presence in Nigeria’s financial we were able to carry out these services industry, and is in line strategic initiatives,” he said. with strategic vision of being Heitssaid the company contin-a leading financial services company ued to build on the successful

TT HH EE N N II G GE ER R II A A N N

with passion for wealth creation. completion of the Africa According to Lafarge him, the two asset consolidation some products Cordrosthrough Trade Button strategic including (an onlineinitiatives, equities trading portal increasing its clients shareholding in that enables view live Ashakacem to 82.46 per cent trading and effect trades (buy or and of further stake sell)acquisition on the NSE) and Cordros in Unicem.

Chase ( an investors’ solutions Balogun foresees growth opproduct designed to aid existing portunities in 2016 and beyond for and potential clients overcome the building material sector, saying the burden associated with equi“The 2016 Federal Government ties investment such as share budget indicates a significant

certificate verification, collection aims to attain leadership position The Group Managing Director/ increase in the share spending on in the industry through delivery of outstanding certificates Mr. Michel Puchercos said at infrastructure and capital projects. of extensive products targeted and dividend warrants, dividend CEO, Nigerian operations of Lafarge The government recognizes underserved retail segment warrants revalidation), are part thethe having successfully the need efforts to re-invest in Africa, in the near been future,” he said. of urgent company’s to satisfy unified and rationalised under one Nigerian infrastructure to catalyze Earlier in his speech, Chairman and create wealth for their clients. team,Charles is cognisance much needed growth. the management of CCL, Mr. Osezua On Cordros AssetWith Manageon-going 2.5mt expansion project of the different stakeholders ment Limited (CAML), the CEO said: “It is gratifying to note in Calabar, which is expected to expectations and promise to drive said the subsidiary was estab- that the company has taken a be commissioned before year end, efficiencies that will ultimately lished to create, preserve and bold step , amidst the challenging and plans for Ashaka, our cement generate remarkable synergy macroeconomic business grow wealth for individual for overall and improved production capacity in Nigeria and is savings environments. institutional investors.

“CAML performance. on the increase” he stated.

ST TO O CC K K EE X X CC HH AANNGGEE S

55

THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016 • T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Death Toll in Istanbul Airport Attack Rises to 140 Death toll in the Istanbul attack has risen to 41. Turkey’s Prime Minister yesterday declared a national day of mourning, one day after three terrorists attacked the arrivals hall and a nearby parking area with gunfire and explosive devices.

Of the 239 people injured, 109 remained hospitalized yesterday, official said.

At least 13 of those killed were foreign nationals, a Turkish official said. They include five Saudis, two Iraqis, one Tunisian, one Chinese, one Iranian, one Ukrainian, one Jordanian and one person from Uzbekistan, the official said. Three of the foreigners had dual Turkish citizenship.There was no immediate claim of responsibility. But several officials said the attacks bear the hallmarks of ISIS.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said information from security forces suggests the terror group may be responsible, but authorities are still investigating.

“The terrorists came to the airport in a taxi and then carried out their attacks,”Yildirim said.“The fact that they were carrying guns added to the toll. Preliminary findings suggest all three attackers first opened fire then detonated themselves.”

The early thinking among U.S. intelligence officials was that ISIS or an ISIS-inspired group was responsible, multiple U.S. officials said. One official said the attack bears the hallmarks of ISIS because of the target and the method, with a senior US official noting the way it was coordinated using weapons

and explosions.

Witnesses described the carnage and chaos as the attackers struck one of the world’s busiest airports.

Sue Savage was in the airport to see a friend off when she heard gunshots and then an explosion.

More gunshots rang out, followed by another boom, she told CNN’s

“Erin Burnett OutFront.”

She and about 30 people were herded into a women’s prayer room until authorities led them out and down an escalator into the main terminal hall.“There was a lot of blood,” she said. The floor was marked with bloody boot marks, and as the group was led to the

other side of the room, “there was so much glass on the floor, they were scuffing it aside so we didn’t slip.”Video from inside the terminal shows people fleeing and the bright orange flash of fire from one of the explosions.

Victims stagger, and some fall from the slippery, blood-covered floor.

Another video shows a man walking with a gun, which he drops when he’s apparently shot by a security officer. The man slumps to the ground and the officer briefly stands over him before running. About 10 seconds later, a bomb detonates.

Hollande: EU Cities Should Get Ready to Clear Euro in Place of London There is no reason for the City of London to remain a center for euro clearing if Britain leaves the European Union’s single market, and other financial centers in the bloc should get ready to carry out these transactions, French President Francois Hollande said.

“As soon as Britain leaves the European Union’s single market, if it decides to do so, there will be no reason for the euro zone to allow a non-member country to continue carry out transactions in euro,” Hollande said after a European Council in Brussels.

“Where will these transactions go? There are other trading places in Europe,” he said. “I

want European trading places to get ready to carry out these operations that eventually won’t be done in the UK,” he added.

The Socialist president also downplayed the French audit office’s warning on Wednesday about a possible overshoot of France’s deficit target in 2017, saying the body was inherently skeptical of government targets.

“The Cour des Comptes doubts, therefore it is,” he said, adding that if growth reached 1.7 percent as Paris expects in 2017 and the government was extremely careful in its budget execution, the 2017 deficit target will be met.

Malaysian Police Probe Grenade Attack Malaysian police remained doubtful that militants were behind a grenade attack on a nightspot that wounded seven people, but were forced to reassess the possibility yesterday after an Islamic State claim of responsibility was posted on Facebook.

Investigators had previously ruled out terrorism as the motive for Tuesday’s attack on the bar in Puchong, a town outside the capital Kuala Lumpur, which wounded eight people, including a woman from China.

The more likely motive appeared to be business rivalry, or a targeted attack on someone in the bar, according to police. The owner of the Movida bar also used Facebook to air suspicions that there was some personal grudge against two of his customers.

Counter-terrorism officials, however, were trying to establish the credibility of the claim of responsibility posted on the Facebook page of a known Malaysian IS fighter. Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi claimed on his Facebook page that the attack had been carried out by two followers of IS, according to a screenshot posted online by a local newspaper, Sin Chew Daily.

Police counter-terrorism unit head Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay declined to comment on whether

the Facebook profile was credible.

“We are looking at all possible motives, including business conflict, revenge, gangland involvement and finally terrorism,” he told Reuters. Roger Hew, the bar owner, suspected that a couple celebrating their wedding anniversary had been the target.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Hew said the attack was due to “a personal matter”and that an eyewitness had seen two men throwing the grenade towards the couple.

In a similar attack in 2014, a club in central Kuala Lumpur was hit by a grenade during a botched assassination attempt on a gangland kingpin, killing one and injuring 12 others.

Malaysia’s security agencies are on guard against IS spreading its tentacles in the Muslim majority, but multi-ethnic Southeast Asian nation. A few months ago, officials had estimated nearly 50 Malaysians, mostly ethnic Muslim Malays, had joined IS in Syria and Iraq.

While both al-Qaeda and Islamic State have recruited Malaysians, there has been no significant attack by either group inside the country since the spectre of Islamist militancy loomed in the wake of al Qaeda’s 2001 attacks on the United States.

THE MOURNING AFTER

Relatives of one of the victims in front of a morgue in Istanbul…yesterday

Largest Uncut Diamond Set for Auction in London The world’s largest uncut diamond is expected to be sold for more than £52m in an unprecedented auction in London. According to BBC, the Lesedi la Rona, almost the size of a tennis ball, was unearthed in Botswana in November. The rough diamond is 1,109 carats and believed to be more than 2.5 billion years old.

The Mayfair auction, which is the first time a rough diamond of such a size has gone on public sale, takes place at Sotheby’s later. The Lesedi la Rona, which means ‘our light’ in the Tswana language spoken

in Botswana, was discovered

by Lucara Diamond Corp’s Karowe mine. David Bennett, worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s jewellery division, said the diamond’s discovery is “the find of a lifetime”.

“Every aspect of this auction is unprecedented. Not only is the rough superlative in size and quality, but no rough even remotely of this scale has ever been offered before at public auction,” he said.

According to a study by the Gemological Institute of America, the rough diamond’s colour and transparency “ex-

emplify” type IIA diamonds.

Stones in this group are “the most chemically pure and often show extraordinary optical transparency”. IIA is the most chemically-pure type of diamond. Less than 2% of all gem diamonds are classed as IIA. They were first identified as originating from the famed Golconda region of India. Type IIA diamonds are now recovered in all major diamond producing regions.

Famous examples of Type IIA diamonds are the Cullinan I and the Koh-i-Noor, both part of the British Crown Jewels.

Nothing of the size and quality of Lesedi La Rona - which measures measures 6.64 x 5.5 x 4.2cm (2.6 x 2.1 x 1.6in) - has been found in more than 100 years.In terms of its size the rough is exceeded only by the Cullinan Diamond, mined in South Africa in 1905 and presented to King Edward VII. The 3,106-carat diamond was cut into nine separate stones, many of which are in the British Crown Jewels, including the Great Star of Africa - currently the largest top-quality polished diamond in existence.

Russian, Turkish Leaders Agree to Close ‘Crisis Chapter’ in Ties The presidents of Russia and Turkey yesterday agreed to resume bilateral cooperation, including in the fight against terrorism, after a period of diplomatic tension and said they wanted to hold a face-to-face meeting.

Relations between Moscow and Ankara have been badly strained since Turkey last year shot down a Russian warplane taking part in Moscow’s military campaign in Syria.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan expressed regret for the incident this week in a letter to President Vladimir Putin. The

Kremlin leader said the letter created conditions to close“this crisis chapter”in bilateral relations.

Both Moscow and Ankara said the two presidents had held a “constructive” telephone conversation yesterday. Putin said he would order the government to start talks with Turkey on resuming “mutually advantageous” trade relations and to drop restrictive measures on Russian tourists visiting Turkey, the Kremlin said in a statement.

“The conversation was in general businesslike and constructive, aiming to restore

the traditionally friendly mood of the multi-faceted bilateral cooperation,” the Kremlin said.

Turkish presidential sources called the conversation “very productive and positive”.

They said Putin and Erdogan were expected to meet before and during a G20 summit in September in China.

Putin also expressed his condolences to Erdogan after three suspected Islamic State suicide bombers opened fire and blew themselves up in Istanbul’s main airport late on Tuesday, killing at least 41 people

and wounding some 239.

Putin and Erdogan both stressed the need for closer cooperation in tackling terrorist threats, the Kremlin said. The Russian leader told Erdogan he hoped that a criminal case launched against a Turkish citizen accused of killing the Russian pilot of the downed warplane would be an objective one.

Ankara has said it acted lawfully in shooting down the plane, saying it had crossed from Syria into Turkish air space; Moscow denied that happened.

THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 • T H I S D AY

56

NEWS

MTN Pays Another N30bn of N330bn Fine, Wins 2.6 GHz Broadband Licence Emma Okonji

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has declared MTN as winner of its latest auction for a 10-year frequency spectrum licence for the 2.6GHz band, which guarantees superior performance for wireless networks, especially 4G LTE services.

MTN has also paid an additional N30 billion of its N330 billion fine as part of the agreement it reached with NCC to make installmental payments for a period of three years to clear the entire fine.

The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Ferdi Moolman, who confirmed the additional payment of the MTN fine, said: “In addition to winning the spectrum licence, we are also delighted that the matter of the fine imposed by the NCC was amicably settled in the interest of all parties. I am pleased to announce that the first payment of N30 billion in the terms of settlement has already been disbursed to the NCC. In addition to the earlier payment of N50 billion which we paid in good faith and without prejudice on February 24, this means we have now paid a total of N80 billion.”

The NCC had earlier confirmed that MTN’s bid was in full compliance with the relevant provisions of the Information Memorandum

(IM) for the exercise in which MTN emerged as sole approved bidder.

Although Nigeria is one of 28 African countries that currently offer 4G/ LTE services, the rate of penetration is restricted to a few major cities.

As such, MTN’s success in this auction is a big boost to its plan to deliver global mobile broadband and LTE 4G services to over 60 million customers in Nigeria.

It also plans to use FDD networks in addition to its existing WIMAX over TDD networks, as this provides for greater consistency with existing 2G and 3G deployments.

Moolman stated that “After complying with all the requirements for the 2.6GHz auction and making the licence payment of N18.96 billion to the NCC, MTN was been issued a letter of award. With the 2.6 GHz band, we expect to roll out and provide the full range of LTE services to Nigerians, empowering Nigeria with the latest mobile broadband technology.”

The award of the spectrum by the NCC was further to an open, transparent and competitive process in which all operators - local and foreign; enjoyed equal and unfettered rights of participation in line with the NCC’s desire for transparency and ensuring

a level playing field for all.

The NCC has described this spectrum as a significant trigger for a broadband revolution that will unlock benefits such as greater coverage, access, affordability and innovation, with the customer at the centre of these gains.

Studies by McKinsey have shown that a 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration is associated with a 1.4 per cent increase in

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in developing markets.

As such, the knock-on effect on individuals, businesses and multiple sectors of the economy signal far reaching implications for socio-economic growth and development.

According to Moolman, “We are very pleased with this development at this time, which is a further step in the

right direction for Nigeria.

Indeed, MTN is fully aligned and supports the NCC’s objective to deliver broadband services to present and future generations of subscribers, in line with the National Broadband Plan of 2013.”

He added: “This licence acquisition further demonstrates MTN’s abiding faith in the future of Nigeria and the resilience of the Nigerian economy. MTN continues to

believe in Nigeria and we have expressed this belief in the level of our investment, which currently stands at approximately $15 billion and counting.

“We strongly believe that there is need for significant levels of investment in broadband infrastructure and services to truly launch Nigeria into the information age. We are honoured to be the arrowhead.”

BE FAIR TO ALL

L-R: Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade; Governor Akinwunmi Ambode; and the new Chairman, Lagos Your Ministers, Contact State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Justice Ayotunde Philips, during the inauguration ceremony of Justice C’ttee Members are Dealing Philips and other four members of LASIEC at the Conference Room, Lagos House, Ikeja...yesterday with the Wrong People, Lekki-Epe Road: LASG Restructures LCC Loan, Saves N’Delta Group Warns FG Davidson Iriekpen A Niger Delta elite group, the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS), yesterday listed the conditions that should be met by the federal government in order to restore sanity to the Niger Delta region and save the nation from further loss in revenue accruable from oil and gas.

This was against the backdrop of an emergency executive meeting held in Lagos.

UNDEDSS Secretary General, Tony Uranta, disclosed that the region had unanimously resolved to resist any further attempts by the federal government to toy with Nigeria’s future by continuing to maliciously deploy the military in the region or attempting to deploy sinister divide and rule tactics against the region’s key actors “President Muhammadu Buhari is advised to personally and visibly head a holistic solution-seeking strategy that will prove his commitment to a robustly sustainable peace in the region, for there to be true unity, stability and progress in Nigeria,” Uranta insisted.

The UNDEDSS scribe decried what he called “the ongoing farce by too many of President Buhari’s political friends and

ministers, who are wasting time establishing so-called contact committees that will not resolve pertinent issues sustainably!”

Asked what the federal government needs to do, Uranta said: “There’s no need to reinvent the wheel.

All Buhari has to do is return to the very successful Yar’Adua Template of 2009,” even as he admitted that President Jonathan failed to consolidate on President Yar’Adua’s gains in the region.

UNDEDSS disclosed that the federal government had been made aware of how to resolve this avoidable crisis, while calling on the president to personally broadcast to the nation an indefinite federal government ceasefire to be matched by armed actors in the region; Government’s commitment to the National Maritime University, Okerenkoko; and, the appointment of a savvy Special Adviser (Niger Delta Affairs) to the president, among other things.

“If Buhari follows Yar’Adua’s lead”, Uranta promised, “there will be sustainable cessation of hostilities in the Niger Delta, and the nation will no longer be subjected to further losses in national revenues or the crippling power shortfalls due to unavailability of crude and gas.”

N10bn

Secures 21.16% loan reduction from international leaders Gboyega Akinsanmi The Lagos State Government yesterday disclosed that it had effectively restructured N25.3 billion credit facility, which local and international lenders granted it to buy back the Lekki Concession Company (LCC), the concessionaire of the Lekki-Epe Expressway.

Also, the state government revealed that it was able to secure 21.16 per cent reduction through the restructuring of the credit facility, which the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) granted it in November 2013 during the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN).

The state government disclosed the credit restructuring in a statement by its Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, yesterday, noting that the state executive council had finally approved the deal.

Ayorinde in the statement explained that the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode “has paid a total of N9.8billion in full and final settlement of LCC’s indebted-

ness to its international lender, which granted a 21.16 per cent reduction to the state.”

Consequently, the commissioner disclosed that a whopping sum of N3.15billion had been saved from the restructuring of the credit facility the Fashola administration obtained about one year and six months to the end of his second term.

He said in addition, local lenders, whose interest rate was 18.5 per cent at the consummation of the facility, “offered a 12 per cent haircut and also fully paid with a restructured loan at 13.5 per cent, thereby creating a savings of N8.7billion for the state government.”

He thus assured that the state government’s commitment “to continue to deploy appropriate public finance management principles to ensure adequate provision of infrastructure to all Lagos residents.”

However, the state Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Mustapha Akinkunmi, urged all residents of the state to continue to pay their taxes as at when due, noting that more

facilities are being provided by the Ambode administration through the tax payers’ obligation to government.

Under the Fashola administration, the state government received clearance from the SEC to open a seven-year N87.5 billion bond, which it then said, would mature in November 2020.”

It stated that it applied for the facility to fund critical infrastructure projects, which it could not finance due to a record shortfall in the state’s monthly receipts or payments due to the state governments from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).

It listed the projects that would benefit from the facility to include the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the Blue Line Metro Rail, the Adiyan Water Works, Ayinke House (Mother and Childcare Centre), acquisition of the entire shareholding of the LCC and Shoreline Protection Works among others.

But of the N87.5 billion, the state government had earmarked a whopping sum of N25.3 billion to buy back the LCC while other projects

would N62.2 billion. It set N15 billion aside for the buy-out of LCC; N6.8 billion slated to service the existing debt and N3.5 billion as the third party liability cost.

Meanwhile, The Lekki-Epe road has a contract sum of N50 billion while the LCC had a 30-year concession rights under the built, operate and transfer (BOT) arrangement that will enable the company recoup its investment plus interest.

The concession was first sealed on April 24, 2006 at the tail end of the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But on August 25, 2008, Fashola signed four supplemental agreements with the LCC to enable it access long term funding for the construction of the 50-kilometre expressway.

As a result, in 2008, the LCC secured full commitment for the cost of the construction phase of the project, securing N50 billion long term financing package with several local and international financial institutions on terms that were acknowledged then as ground-breaking for the Nigerian market.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

ECOWAS Court Adjourns Ruling Indefinitely over Dasuki’s Detention Former air force chief, Amosu granted N500m bail

ECOWAS secretariat may be broke Davidson Iriekpen The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice has adjourned indefinitely judgment in the case of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), against the federal government in which he challenged his unlawful detention by government since December 2015 in the custody of the Department of the State Service (DSS).

The court, presided over by Justice Friday Nwoke, had on May 16 reserved judgment till today after taking final argument from Dasuki’s lawyer Mr. Robert Emukperuo and federal government’s lawyer, Mr. Tijani Gazali.

However, journalists, lawyers and other observers who stormed the regional court in Abuja yesterday were taken aback when they were told that the much awaited verdict of the court was not ready and that a new date for the judgment would be communicated to the lawyers. At the court entrance, journalists, lawyers

and observers were turned back by about 12 security men who told them that the court management had mandated them to tell everybody that judgment was not ready, prompting the people to leave one after the other when the reality dawned on them that the court would not sit after all.

Dasuki had dragged the federal government before the ECOWAS Court praying the regional court to intervene in his detention without trial since December last year.

The ex-NSA asked the court to void the detention, the seizure of his properties and to bar government from further detaining him without a lawful court order.

In the court action instituted by his counsel, Mr. Robert Emukpoeruo, Dasuki asked the court to award in his favoor a sum of N500 million as compensatory damages for his alleged unlawful invasion of his house, detention, seizure of properties and infringement on his rights.

He claimed that government had put him on trial in three dif-

ferent high courts on corruption charges where he was granted bail and that after his bail, he was re-arrested on December 29, 2015 and has since been held incommunicado without lawful court order.

Dasuki told the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice that the federal government has no legal or moral justification for his continued incarceration since December last year.

But the federal government through its counsel, Mr. Tijani Gazali, had argued a preliminary objection against Dasuki on the ground that he ought to have filed a contempt charge against the government for alleged disobedience to court order on the bail granted him but the ECOWAS Court ruled that the case of the plaintiff was on his fundamental rights and has nothing to do with the domestic court.

In another development, a Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday granted a N500million bail to the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Adesola Amosu and 10 others arraigned by the Economic and Financial

Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged N22.8billion fraud.

Amosu was arraigned by the anti-graft agency alongside Air Vice Marshal Jacob Bola Adigun, Air Commodore Gbadebo Olugbenga and eight companies before Justice Mohammed Idris.

The companies are Delfina Oil and Gas Limited, Mcallan Oil and Gas Limited, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Limited and Trapezites BDC Fonds and Pricey Limited.

Others are Deegee Oil and Gas Limited, Timsegg Investment Limited and Solomon Health Care Limited.

They were charged with 26 counts of stealing, concealing the proceeds of crime and conversion of funds belonging to the Nigerian Air Force.

After the charges were read to the defendants, they all pleaded not guilty.

Counsel to the 1st and 11th defendants, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), informed the court of his motion for bail and sought the leave of the court to move same and was granted.

Arguing for bail, Ayorinde

said his client had been cooperating fully with the EFCC since his arrest in January 2016.

Prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, did not oppose the bail applications but urged the court to give stringent conditions that would secure the defendants attendance to court. In his ruling, Justice Buba granted them bail to the sum of N500 million.

He reminded the 1st and 3rd defendants to prison while the 2nd defendant is remanded in EFCC custody pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions.

The judge ruled: “Each defendant is granted bail to the sum of N500m with two sureties with landed properties within the jurisdiction of the court. The sureties shall deposit their title documents to the registrar of the court while the EFCC must verify them.”

He added that the sureties must swear to affidavit of means to be verified by the EFCC while the defendants deposit their international passports to the court as well and adjourned trial to July 8.

Meanwhile, indications have

merged that the ECOWAS Court and its parent body, the ECOWAS Secretariat, may be financially broke. Recently the Vice President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Micah Wright, had disclosed that one of the impediments that the court was facing was insufficient fund for its operation due to non-payment of levy by member states.

“The court and by extension the entire community is facing financial difficulties where member states are not paying up the community levy and that is the means of finance for all ECOWAS activities,” he said.

“The court is always at disadvantage when the funds are being distributed. But we have to take more initiatives to impress it upon the commission the mandate of the court is of such that the court is alone.

“The court cannot source external funding like the commission or like other institutions. We don’t want to compromise our independence and neutrality by going out to seek donor funding.”

Court Upholds Fani-Kayode’s Prolonged Detention by EFCC Tobi Soniyi in Abuja An Abuja High Court yesterday dismissed an application filed by a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, seeking the enforcement of his fundamental human rights.

Fani-Kayode was charged with a 17-count charge of money laundering alongside a former finance minister, Nenadi Usman, and Danjuma Yusuf.

Following his detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Fani-Kayode filed an application to enforce his fundamental rights to freedom.

He had approached the court on June 2, to complain about his continued detention by the anti-graft commission.

But Justice Adeboyega Adeniyi who heard the case, said the EFCC was

constitutionally right to have detained Fani-Kayode since May. He said the detention was in accordance with the EFCC Act. He also held the remand order obtained from a Lagos Magistrate Court was within the provisions of chapter 4 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.

Adeniyi further said the decision of the EFCC to obtain a second remand order, before the expiration of the first, was right decision.

The former aviation minister had been in detention since May 6 on the allegation that N840 million was paid into his account on the eve of the 2015 general election.

The money is suspected to be part of the $2.1billion allegedly misappropriated by a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

RECOGNITION FOR A GOOD JOB

L-R: Co-Founder, Sustainability School of Lagos, Mr. Adeyemi Adewole; presenting an award to the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, representing the governor and the Special Advisers to the Governor; Transportation, Prince Anofi Elegushi, during the Central Business District (CBD) 2016 Stakeholders’ Forum in Lagos.....yesterday

Appeal Court Dismisses Suit Seeking to Annul Ishaku’s Election Wole Ayodele in Jalingo The Appeal Court sitting in Yola has dismissed the suit filed by a gubernatorial aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief David Sabo Kente, seeking to declare the emergence of Darius Ishaku as candidate of the party in the 2015 gubernatorial election null and void.

Besides Ishaku, the applicant in the case is also seeking to declare all the candidates of the party for the various political

offices as illegal and therefore seek for a fresh primaries.

Delivering judgment in the case which also has PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents, Justice Biobelle Abraham Georgewill, declared the suit as lacking in merit.

In dismissing the suit, the judge held that the prayers and reliefs sought by the appellant were inconsistent with the grounds of appeal and therefore declared the suit as incompetent.

THISDAY gathered that supporters of former acting governor of the state, Alhaji Garba Umar, led by former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Gavey Yawe, thronged the court in solidarity with Kente.

Also, in dismissing the suit, Justice Georgewill awarded N100,000 as cost against the applicant in favour of the respondents.

Meanwhile, reacting to the judgment, spokesperson of delegates elected from the

168 Wards of the state for the purpose of the state congress, Bala Hamed, has described the judgment as unacceptable.

In a statement made available to THISDAY in Jalingo, Bala Ahmed said the judgment failed to return delegates rights to lawfully elect candidates that would represent their party in an election.

He maintained that PDP members in Taraba State were clearly and brazenly denied their right to elect candidates of their choice for the 2015 general

election, adding that several elections had been nullified based on irregular conduct of primary elections conducted by the PDP. Insisting that the judgment was highly tainted, he stated: “The delegates will seek redress at the Supreme Court because nothing can supersede the rights of party members through their elected delegates to elect their candidates for an election,” However, countering Hamed’s claims, the Legal

Adviser to PDP in the state, Siman Musa, hailed the judgment, saying it was victory for democracy.

Musa, who enjoined opposition elements in the state to join hands with the state governor to move the state forward, described the suit as a waste of time and resources, stressing that the state government cannot afford to dissipate energy on litigation when it is expected to settle down and deliver dividends of democracy to the people.

THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016 • T H I S D AY

58

NEWSEXTRA

Buhari Gives Vote of Confidence to Military Counter-terrorism Efforts in North-east Cameroun, Nigerian troops clear Boko Haram terrorists from six villages Senator Iroegbu in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari

has expressed satisfaction with the armed forces for their handling of the ongoing opera-

Ishaku Insists Taraba Will Meet 10% of National Tea Demand by December Wole Ayodele in Jalingo Taraba State Governor, Mr. Darius Ishaku, has reiterated that his administration is determined to ensure that the state produces not less than 10 per cent of Nigeria’s tea demand before the end of December 2016.

Besides, the governor said the state was poised to embark on an aggressive cultivation of rice as part of its efforts to boost its economy and become less dependent on allocations from the Federation Account.

Speaking at a dinner he hosted to break Ramadan fast with Muslims at the government house in Jalingo on Tuesday, Ishaku pledge to support tea and rice farmers in the state in order to achieve the objective within the time frame.

The governor, who maintained that the state had the capacity to feed the entire country, told the people to embrace agriculture so as to change the situation where the state was completely dependent on the federal government for survival.

“I have already promised President Muhammadu Buhari that Taraba will meet 10 per cent of national tea demand

by December 2016 and we are committed to achieving that. We have also committed resources to boost rice production and other crops in the state to improve the economy and feed the nation,” he said.

Ishaku further revealed that the procurement and

installation of modern tea production equipments at the Mambilla Beverage Industry (Producers of Highland Tea) by his administration was geared towards meeting the December deadline for producing 10 per cent of the country’s tea demand.

In the same vein, he expressed his commitment to rehabilitate the state owned cassava processing plant in Jalingo which broke down about two years ago in a bid to encourage massive production of cassava in the state.

The governor enjoined Muslims faithful in the state to continue to preach peace and live in unity with their neighbours irrespective of their religious affiliations in order to foster peace and development of the state, saying there can’t be any meaningful development without peace.

Also speaking on the occasion, Chairman of the state Muslim Council, Alhaji Inua Mafindi, thanked the governor for the gesture, saying it would go a long way in promoting the spirit of oneness among religious groups in the state just as he admonished Muslims in the state to continue to live in peace with their Christian brothers.

Similarly, the state Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Ben Ubeh, urged the people of the state to eschew violence and embrace peace in their various communities stressing that every religion preaches peace.

tions against the Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east and Lake Chad Basin area.

Buhari stated this while inaugurating the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) at the Mambilla barracks in Abuja, where he charged the military to sustain the tempo.

The president who was represented by the Minister of Defence, Brig-Gen. Muhammad Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd), stressed that the military policy thrust of his administration was the enhancement of capacity of the armed forces towards maximum operational achievements.

To this end, he assured them of his preparedness to provide the conducive environment that would enable them to perform effectively, optimally and rank among the best in the world.

He said: “We will continue to provide the much needed support to the armed forces for efficient service delivery and effective discharge of your responsibilities.

“I commend the commitment and zeal of the leadership of the armed forces in tackling security issues across the country. I also applaud their successes in the counter insurgency operations in the North-east region and I urge you to sustain the tempo.”

In the same vein, Buhari commended the Nigerian army for the establishment of the Resource Centre, which was formerly known as Nigerian

Army Museum and was upgraded by the Civil Military Department of the Nigerian Army.

According to him, there are enormous benefits inherent in the establishment of the Centre, which would serve as a think-tank to provide solution to the problems of the Nigerian military.

“I have been rightly informed that the Centre was established to serve as a think-tank to proffer solutions to identified problems through research and brainstorming that would lead to robust strategies to propel the Nigerian army forward. The wisdom and noble initiative behind the establishment of this Centre by the Chief of Army Staff is quite commendable and legendary,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, revealed that the vision behind the establishment of the resource centre was anchored on the need to optimise the capability of the army.

Buratai also noted that contemporary security challenges in the country and around its borders had stretched the military close to its limits.

He, however, emphasised on the need to optimise the capability of the army to meet emerging security challenges.

“The Nigerian Army Resource Centre is a vision

that is anchored on the need to ensure that the army does not only participate in the ground battle but indeed in all terrain to ensure that our adversaries are defeated wherever they are.

“As you are aware, Nigeria faces sundry security challenges, but our main focus has been in counter-insurgency operations in the North-east.”

Speaking further, the army chief assured Nigerians of the army’s readiness in conjunction with sister agencies to rid the country of criminal elements operating in the guise of militants, terrorists and others.

Meanwhile, the troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) have in continuation of their efforts to flush out the fleeing Boko Haram terrorists from the Lake Chad Basin Area of Responsibility (AOR), cleared terrorists from six villages along the NigerianCamerounian border.

The Chief Military Public Information Officer of the MNJTF, Col. Colonel Muhammad Dole, in a statement yesterday, said the troop of Sector 1 with its relocated tactical headquarters in Makary, northern Cameroun, intensified the clearance operations along the borders between Nigeria and Cameroun to block the fleeing terrorists.

Recently, Dole said the terrorists, in an attempt to escape the firepower of MNJTF troops,

were migrating to some villages adjacent to the Sector 1 AOR. He disclosed that the troops, acting on credible information, “successfully cleared the six villages occupied by the terrorists, seized some logistic equipment and apprehended 24 suspected Boko Haram accomplices.”

According to him, the cleared villages include Sagui, Kirta-Woulgo, Gore Mahamat, Gore Blangafe, Chaugry and Damboure.

He also listed the recovered equipment to include 20 outboat engines, two motorcycles, nine generating sets, a solar panel, grinding machine, handset, flags and some Islamic religious books.

Dole, however, confirmed that one soldier was killed by Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and another fatally wounded and lost one of his lower limbs during the operation.

He stated that the Commander, MNJTF, Major General Lamidi Adeosun, while addressing the troops during his operational assessment tour in Makary, commended their display of exceptional bravery and charged them to keep up the good work.

The MNJTF spokesman said Adeosun also encouraged the traditional authorities in the area to set up vigilante groups to compliment the effort of the security forces.

EFCC to Arraign Ex-Adamawa Gov Fintiri Today for Alleged N1.9bn Fraud Senator Iroegbu in Abuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will today arraign a former Acting Governor of Adamawa State, Umaru Fintiri, in connection with the ongoing probe of a N1.9billion fraud.

A source within the antigraft agency said Fintiri will be arraigned before Justice AR Mohammed of the Federal High Court on a five count charge.

“EFCC to Arraign Fintiri exAdamawa gov, tomorrow June 30 on a five-count of bribery and money laundering before Justice A R Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja,” the source said.

The former governor who has been under the EFCC custody for two weeks now, is being accused of the abuse of office and corruption during his short reign as the governor of Adamawa State.

Fintiri was the speaker of the Adamawa state assembly, before he became the acting governor in July 2014 following the impeachment of former Governor Murtala Nyako and his deputy, Bala Ngilari.

The commission’s sources had alleged that the administration of Fintiri awarded two road contracts including a N1billion work for Yola township road and another N1.9billion for road project in Mararaba Garta, which was ravaged by Boko Haram.

The source said:“Investigation so far revealed that Fintiri took a loan from a bank to set up a tea farm on Mambilla Plateau.

But when he allegedly got the $3.8million, he diverted it to offset the loan.”

“Fintiri was being made to answer questions on how Adamawa State’s debt profile rose from N8.7billion to N13.85 within four months that he was acting governor.”

THE GOVERNOR OF ALL

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, in a group photograph with the leadership of South -south Physically Challenged Indigenes at the Government House, Port Harcourt ....yesterday

SENATE, SGF INWAR OFWORDS OVER FORGERYOF SENATE STANDING ORDER not being accused of certificate forgery as it happened in ex-Speaker Salisu Buhari’s case.

Therefore, nobody should compare an apple with an orange. Also, neither Saraki nor Ekweremadu is below the age requirement for their present position as it was alleged in Speaker Buhari case.

Attempts to make the two situations look similar is to present all Nigerians as

having no sense of history.

“We also know that nobody can be accused of forging his own signature.

The executive is in no position to determine the correct Standing Orders of the Senate. The Senate president and his deputy were as at the morning of the June 9, 2015 inauguration of the Senate mere Senatorselect and could therefore not have been in a position to influence any alteration in

the rule book.

Abdullahi added that: “The Senate as an institution, and indeed the National Assembly, has spoken about its understanding of the present assault on their independence by the executive.

We maintain that this trial was a design by the executive to criminalise the internal affairs of the Senate to create a distraction for the leadership of the Senate, force a leadership change

and cow the legislators.

“Those behind this plot find this trial more expedient and important than finding tangible solutions to the multi-various socio-economic problems bedeviling the country.

However, we are sure they will fail in this attempt. We only hope they will allow the judiciary to truly and creditably perform its duties and give independent verdict on the case.”

THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016 • T H I S D AY

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NEWSXTRA

INEC CVR Records 100,000 New Voters in Edo, Ondo Fixtures for re-run elections out today

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said no fewer than 100,000 new voters registered with the commission under the just concluded Continuous Voter

Registration (CVR) exercise in Edo and Ondo States.

The commission also said its officials are recently doing de-duplication to ensure that there were no multiple registrants before distributing permanent voter’s cards (PVCs) to the

FIRS Shuts HFP Engineering, Others in Lagos In continuation of its tax drive nationwide, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has closed down the operational headquarters of H.F.P Engineering Nigeria Limited over the company’s tax liabilities of N536million. With the closure, officials of the company were ordered out of the office located at Globe House, Plot 0-17B, Road 8, Victoria Garden City, Lagos.

A statement by the FIRS enforcement unit, led by Anita Erinne, while briefing newsmen in Lagos yesterday stated that the team also sealed Meditarian Nigeria Limited at 243, Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, which has a tax debt of over N4billion spanning 2008 2013. An officer of the company Mr Raja, an Indian, said he was not aware of the said debt. He called on one Mr. Kola to attend to the FIRS team. Kola admitted that they owed the amount and pleaded for

time to pay it. “We have been in discussions with your office in Abuja over the matter.” he said. The FIRS officials were not persuaded and sealed the company’s office at 2:30pm.

Erinne said that also affected was Dimension Data at Block 235 Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. The company has tax liabilities in excess of N540 million. Top officials of the company were said to be unavailable when the office was sealed at 1:30pm.

The same fate befell Sirius Energy Resources, located at 209 Muri Okunola Street. The company owes N11million in taxes. Holding a Warrant of Distraint letter, Erinne told female employee in the company’s administrative department to inform staff to vacate the premises within 10 minutes.

registered voters.

Speaking during the opening of the second quarterly meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja, yesterday, INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, promised that the suspended re-run elections in four states would be conducted before July 31.

He said INEC would meet to fix the date for suspended rerun elections in Rivers, Imo,

Kogi and Kano States today.

“Already, the commission has began consultation with critical stakeholders, including leaders of political parties and security agencies, and has scheduled a meeting in Abuja today where the actual date for the re-run elections would be fixed,” the INEC boss he said.

Yakubu told the RECs: “There are a number of issues to be discussed, though this is a regular meeting, notably, the

preparations for the forthcoming elections, the conclusion of rerun in Rivers, Kano, Imo and Kogi States.

“We have started the processes of consultation to determine the date for the conclusion of the rerun elections in the four states that I have mentioned not later than July 31. We have met with political parties and security agencies.

“Today, it is the turn of RECs and thereafter tomorrow (today),

we shall have the national stakeholders forum involving political parties, candidates involved in the elections, the security agencies, RECs, the civil society organisations and the media, to fix a date for the exercise.

“Secondly, we are also going to discuss preparations for the forthcoming end of tenure governorship elections in Edo on September 10 and Ondo on November 26,” he said.

Rivers Murder Trial: Group Calls for Suspension of DOUBLE SOLICITOR Associate Counsel, Punuka Attorneys & Solicitors, Miss Isioma Idigbe; Senior Partner, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN); Court of Appeal President L-R: and Managing Partner, Mrs. Elizabeth Idigbe, on the occasion of Chief Anthony Idigbe’s call to the Ontario Bar, in Canada ....

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt A non-governmental organisation, The Integrity, has called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to suspend the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, over her involvement in the murder trial of a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ojukaye Flag-Amachree.

In a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday, the Executive Director of the group, Livingstone Wechie, said Bulkachuwa had demonstrated partisanship in the trial by constituting a three-member panel from outside Rivers State just grant bail to the accused person.

He said: “On behalf of my group and in line with our Justice and Citizens project, we join in the demand that Hon. Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa be suspended from office immediately as President of the Court of Appeal along with her special three-man hatchet Appeal Court Judges Panel mysteriously picked from other states to be dissolved in view of their unholy plot to ridicule the Nigerian Judiciary in their desperate bid to do nothing but entertain only an Appeal on bail application and quickly grant same at all cost to an APC scribe, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree standing trial for a capital offense of murder, in such an illegal and unjustifiable manner no Nigerian in that category has ever enjoyed.

“This singular act of the Appeal

Court President is the height of judicial commercialisation, interest and show of political partisanship in Nigeria and so we have petitioned the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council insisting on the dissolution of the hatchet Panel while we commence necessary legal steps to rescue the judiciary from the endangerment of this bad arrangement.”

Wechie denied allegations by the APC that the Integrity Group was being sponsored in their whistle-blowing act concerning the intervention of the president of the court of appeal in the trial of Flag-Amachree.

His words: “Thus, contrary to the lethal and genetic lie telling skill of the APC in Rivers State, the mainstream civil society where we belong including the Civil Liberties Organisation is too big for you. As such we totally deny every allegation from the APC in Rivers State as per sponsorship of our demand for fair justice in this matter either by the Rivers state government or any other authority whatsoever.

“Therefore they are put to the strictest challenge and proof to provide both video, picture and audio evidence of the campaigned visit to Austin Opara which never held or forever remain silent. Austin Opara in his innocence is my kinsman from same community just as we are all Rivers and nothing more pretentious.

recently.

Osoba: Akiolu Risked His Life for My Sake during Abacha’s Reign Gboyega Akinsanmi Former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, yesterday revealed tormenting experience he had in 1993 when former Head of State, late Gen. Sani Abacha toppled the Interim National Government (ING) headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan.

Osoba, who first governed Ogun State between January 1992 and November 1993, said the present Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, who was then Commissioner of Police, risked his job and life for his sake while being incarcerated at Alagbon cell.

He gave the account at the public presentation of a book, Cascade of Change: A Decade of Liberal Thoughts authored by the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, yesterday.

The book presentation, which took place at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) on Victoria Island attracted President Muhammadu Buhari, the state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, and the national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Other dignitaries at the presentation were the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Olatunji Bello; Managing Director of THISDAY Newspapers Group, Mr. Eniola Bello; former Managing Director of Concord Newspapers, Dr. Doyin Abiola; a public commentator and development expert, Prof. Pat Utomi, and Director-General of DAWN Commission, Mr. Dipo Famakinwa.

Osoba, who was the chairman of the occasion, explained how Akiolu risked his job and life as the then Commissioner for Police during Abacha’s administration and allowed him to sleep in his office while he was in jail.

He said the Abacha regime incarcerated him in Alagbon cell after November 17, 1993 military intervention, noting that he “was sleeping on a bench at Alagbon cell. My mates were like big rats that freely jumped at me and made me uncomfortable at night.”

Having seen his pitiable condition, the former governor said the monarch came “to my rescue at the risk of his job and life. Oba Akiolu gave me the key to his office and asked him to sleep there after office hours.”

Osoba, therefore, openly commended the monarch for his doggedness and kindness, noting that he stood by him when the late tyrant jailed him for his struggle to ensure the actualisation of June 12, 1993 presidential election.

On his part, Ambode commended Ayorinde for the book, noting that his participation in the campaign that brought his (Ambode) administration to office was spearheaded by him as he was the head of the media and strategy team.

“Ayorinde represents a generation of conscious journalists who have committed to working towards a better society. We are proud to

have him in the Lagos State executive council and he has been involved in various stages in the implementation of our Change Agenda. He has deployed his professional skills, competence and experience in promoting our socio-political reforms through a liberal and focused policy implementation strategy.

“I am sure that this book, a collection of articles written over a 10 year period, will make interesting reading to any student of history and politics. As you can imagine, the articles of the past two years had strong political leaning, echoing the call for ‘Change’ at the federal level and ‘Continuity with Improvement’ in Lagos.”

Rotary Club of Ewu Tuntun Holds Business Forum July 2 Rotary Club of Ewu Tuntun District 9110 Lagos will on Saturday, July 2, organise a business forum with theme: ‘Business Opportunities in Nigeria’s Automobile Sector,’ at Ibris Royale Hotel 41, Murtala Mohammed Airports Road Lagos at 10.30a.m.

The guest speaker, Mr. Mathew Ibe, Service Manager at Mandilas Motors will examine various challenges and opportunities available in Nigeria’s automobile sector in the prevailing turbulent economy and proffer suggestion on government’s auto policy

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NEWSEXTRA

Dangote Refinery, Fertilizer Projects to Create 235,000 New Jobs Crusoe Osagie The refinery and fertilizer projects of Dangote Industries Limited is expected to create a minimum of 235,000 new jobs, both direct and indirect jobs, as it becomes operational in the first quarter of 2019.

President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, who revealed this yesterday, also stated that the projects would cost a minimum of $17 billion.

Dangote said the $12 billion refinery would have a capacity of 650,000 barrels a day. He assured that there will be market for the refined products because even in Africa, only three countries have effective functioning refinery with others importing from abroad.

Dangote named the countries with refinery as Egypt, South Africa and Cote d’Ivoire, saying “Our refinery will be ready in the first quarter of 2019. Mechanical completion will be end of 2018 but we will start producing in 2019.”

When the projects fully take off in 2019, Dangote said it would help the country save $5 billion spent on the importation of oil into the country.

The refinery, petrochemicals and fertilizer in one spot according to him is the single largest stream in the world. “This site is the biggest site in the world, the refinery is the biggest single refinery in the world, the petrochemicals is 13 times bigger than Eleme Petrochemicals while the fertilizer plant will be 10 times bugger than former National Fertilizer Company. He explained that the project with the $2 billion fertilizer unit was the funded through loans, export credit agencies and our own equity.

Dangote explained that the diversification of Nigeria economy was long over-due and that one sector that Nigeria can focuses on to rejuvenate the economy is agriculture.

He stated that his investment in fertilizer is one sure way the diversification into agriculture

could succeed because according to him, it will amount to little if focus is directed to agriculture and fertilizers would be imported.

He said: “Agriculture is the way to go, but a critical component of that sector is fertilizers, Nigeria has more arable land than China which now is the biggest economy in the world, we can tap into our vast land and produce what we need and even export the remaining.

“By the time we complete this project, there will be opportunity to take on agriculture and say bye to poverty, because there will be jobs, no sector has more job potential than agriculture” Dangote said the project was an ambitious one and that when completed it will give Nigeria a new economic direction in the quest for diversification of the economy, as excess products would be imported to give Nigeria the much needed foreign exchange.

That is when diversification starts.

Anambra PDP Primaries: Uba, Oduah to Know Fate July 8 Alex Enumah in Abuja

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has reserved July 8 for judgment in a suit challenging the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election that produced Senators Andy Uba, Stella Oduah and others as candidates for the 2015 National Assembly elections.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday, fixed the date after listening to submissions of counsel in the matter.

Both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP had in the various argument urged the court to dismiss the suit challenging the validity of the primary election of PDP that produced Uba, Oduah and others as candidates for the 2015 National Assembly elections.

According to them, the legal action instituted by Senator Annie Okonkwo and 43 others is a gross abuse of the court processes, as the issues raised by the plaintiffs had already been resolved by the Supreme Court.

The plaintiffs had in a suit filed before the court asked the court to invalidate the nomination of the defendants by the PDP in the 2015 National and state House of Assembly elections.

They also applied for an order of the court restraining INEC from accepting the nomination of Uba and his colleagues in the national and state assemblies on the ground that they were not nominated by the state executive committee of PDP led by Mr. Ejike Oguebegu.

They premised their argument on the grounds that

since Oguebegu-led state PDP committee conducted primary election, nominated them and their names published by INEC, it was wrong in law for their names to be withdrawn from INEC’s list.

They maintained that any purported removal of their names from the INEC list violated provisions of the law and should be set aside while their names should be restored.

However, in the adoption of final addresses yesterday before Justice Adeniyi Ademola, INEC in its opposition to the suit claimed that the case of Okonkwo and other plaintiffs had been overtaken by a Supreme Court judgment delivered on January 29, 2016 by Justice John Iyang –Okoro.

Aratek Biometrics Technology Appoints Centre Point Network as Partner Aratek Biometrics Technology Company Limited has appointed Centre Point Network Limited as a strategic partner and sole distributor of her biometric products in Nigeria and subSaharan Africa.

This agreement was signed last week in Abuja by the representatives of the two companies. Mrs. Joy Chukwureh Offor (Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer- Center Point Limited) signed for Center Point Network while Mr. Michael Shao (Chief Executive Officer of Aratek Biometrics Technology Co. Limited) signed for Aratek.

According to Mrs. Offor, the signing is in furtherance of the relationship between Center Point Network and Aratek.

“We are of the believe that the two companies will tap from the comparative advantage available to us to deliver qualitative and effective service to the Nigerian people and sub-Saharan Africa at large.”

Mrs. Offor explained that the signing is coming at the right time considering the fact the Center Point Network Limited just recently won the Best ICT company award in terms of service deliver for the year 2015.

Expanding further, she said Center Point Network will move swiftly into the appointment of qualified resellers – nationwide that will market the Aratek Biometric products.

Center Point Network Limited is a leading information technology company with its core focus on information technology solutions and deployment, with a growing clientele base ranging from government parastatals, corporate organisations, the Oil and Gas sector, small scale enterprise (SME), Retail Outlets of Computers and IT equipment and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Bishop Howells Memorial Holds Valedictory Ceremony Bishop Howells Memorial Grammar School, a private missionary secondary school in Lagos, has announced its annual Valedictory Service Prize Giving and Graduation Ceremony, which comes up on July 14, for the outgoing Senior Secondary 3 2016 set, “The Achievers Class”.

Tagged: ‘A New Beginning’

Isaiah 43:18-19, this year’s event will be preceded by a pre-valedictory lecture on July 12 and confirmation service and dinner on July 13, 2016. According to the school principal, Reverend Bamidele Adesina Osunyomi, the lecture will be delivered

by Ven. Adeyemi Agbelusi and the confirmation service will be

presided over by the Rt. Reverend James Olusola Odedeji, The Bishop Diocese of Lagos West.

The Chairman Permanent Commission of Lagos Anglican Schools Management Board, Rt. Reverend B. J. Adeyemi, the Bishop Diocese of Badagry will be presiding over the service and graduation ceremony.

THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016 • T H I S D AY

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CRIME&PUNISHMENT

In Brief

Militancy: Operation Delta NDLEA Seizes 1,839kgs of Hard Drugs in Sokoto Safe Finally Kicks off Police re-arrest suspect for vandalism

Chiemelie Ezeobi

Following the issue of militancy bedevilling the Niger Delta region, the Operation Delta Safe (ODS), a recently inaugurated joint operation under the Defence Headquarters, yesterday finally started operation with the departure of its new commander from Lagos.

Although the new military unit, which is headed

by Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie, the former Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), has been inaugurated, it was only until yesterday that he handed over and departed for duty at ODS. Okojie who was in Lagos yesterday to formally hand over the reins of NAVTRAC to the new FOC, Rear Admiral Ifeola Mohammed, immediately left for the taskforce’s headquarters in Igbogene, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The ODS, a new military outfit, took over the Niger Delta operation from the recently disbanded Joint military Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield (OPS).

According to the Defence Headquarters, the inauguration of the ODS is to improve security in the region and particularly, safeguard oil facilities from militancy and vandalism.

Although Okojie declined to speak on his strategies for the ODS, he had earlier during his inauguration pledged that his leadership would plug into where the OPS stopped, to ensure seamless operations in the region.

He also vowed that in line with the mandate of the Operation Delta Safe, the personnel deployed to join the operation would jointly rout criminalities from the region.

On how the navy will tackle contemporary challenges he said: “The navy itself is

a contemporary force. The last diamond jubilee we had, papers were discussed on how to improve security in the Gulf of Guinea and other maritime security challenges.

“I am very sure that the NN is in a better position now to tackle those challenges using best practices and international standards.”

Meanwhile, the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command, Wednesday re-arrested one Godwin Nwankwo, for vandalising and selling off bridge railings, crash barriers and manholes, barely 18 days after he had regained his freedom for same offence.

The 23-year-old suspect, was recently released from the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Lagos, after he was arrested three months ago vandalising bridge railings and barriers at Ijora Bridge.

He was caught in the act as he was bringing out some cut-to-size railings and crash barriers from manholes which were meant to reinforce Ijora Bridge from vibrating as well as protect vehicles from falling from the bridge.

In his confession, Nwankwo said he resorted to such means because he was desperately hungry and there was no alternative means for him to get money.

Confirming the arrest, the State Police’ Spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police, said anyone involved in the act would be brought to book.

She said, “We are intensifying our efforts to arrest anybody vandalising government’s infrastructure across the state.

This stride has begun to yield positive results as some of them have been arrested and they are facing prosecution at the moment.”

The Sokoto State Command of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) yesterday said it seized 1839 kilogrammes of assorted drugs in 2015. It also stated that no fewer than 139 victims of drug abuse had been rehabilitated in its rehabilitation centre in the state. Speaking with journalists in Sokoto, its Commander, Mr. Misbahu Idris, said out of the figure, cannabis sativa accounted for about 910 kilogrammes, psychotropic substance accounted for about 403 kilogrammes, while cough syrup accounted for about 525.4 kilogrammes. He disclosed that the command also prosecuted 24 drugs dealers during the period under review, while more cases were currently being prosecuted. Idris pointed out that the command had counselled 139 clients in the rehabilitation centre built by the Sokoto State government. According to him, skills acquisition programme was introduced for them while the staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) donated eight units of new NP computers.

Idris appealed to families who have identified drug problems in the family to approach the command and take advantage of the rehabilitation centre.

Mutilated Body Found in Ekiti Canal Panic gripped residents and passers-by at Ojudo area of Ado-

Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital city yesterday as they woke up to see a dismembered body of a man that had apparently been murdered overnight by unknown assailants. The man, whose identity is unknown, was dumped in the canal with his fore and hind limbs cut off by the murderers. Finding the situation very appalling and strange, the people from the nearby Mugbagba, Ijigbo, Odo Ado, Ojudo and other neighbourhoods had converged on the street, close to the community’s market and had caused traffic jam as they called themselves to catch a glimpse of the spectacle. Also, scores of commercial motorcyclists had left their motorbikes and the morning rush for sightseeing while also calling their colleagues to come and see for themselves. The deceased was apparently slaughtered as his throat had been cut, while all the limbs which had been severed from the rest of his body, were stuffed in a separate sack and dumped in the gutter about 50 meters apart. The gory sight had caused several of the onlookers to descend into hysterics as they condemned the development. The Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, said: “The DCO of the area has reported the development and we have already commenced investigation to unravel the crime. The body, the police said had been deposited at a mortuary.

Three Men Sentenced to Death by Hanging

TIME TO FACE JUSTICE

An accused, Mr. Ojo David (left), and other accused staff of Oyo State Government, Mr. Oluwaseun Adegoke, being led to the Magistrate’s Court by a security officer for illegally and fraudulently receiving monthly salary from the Oyo State Government in Ibadan...yesterday FELIX ADEMOLA

Robbers Kill Engineering Student in Bayelsa Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa A gang suspected to be armed robbers yesterday shot and killed a final year engineering student of the Bayelsa State-owned Niger Delta University (NDU).

THISDAY learnt that the student of the university located on Wilberforce Island, Amasoma, Southern Ijaw, was killed near a bank where he was soliciting business from new school entrants who had gone to the bank to buy the institution’s entrance form.

Obele Wilson, as the victim was later identified by friends, used the opportunity offered by the strike embarked upon by lecturers of over unpaid salaries to open a business centre where he had been processing admission seekers’

documents electronically for a fee.

He was reportedly attacked along the Sani Abacha Expressway, Yenagoa, where some branches of new generation banks are located.

The armed gang reportedly confronted Wilson and some bank customers at about 2p.m. and started dispossessing them of their cash, mobile handsets and other valuables.

An eyewitness, who preferred not to be named, said the deceased student was at the spot to seek patronage from persons who bought the NDU forms from banks since the competition in getting customers directly in the business centre had become fierce. After the shooting, it was gathered that sympathisers tried to rush Wilson to an undisclosed

hospital, but that he died before getting there.

“The killing of Wilson was very painful. He was a final year engineering student who was in the business of processing screening forms for admission seekers.

“He was at the premises of the bank to look for customers from among those who purchased the forms. ‘’Some armed men stormed the place and started collecting people’s valuables and cash at gunpoint.

Wilson argued with them in the process and they shot him,” he said.

But he blamed the incident on the ongoing industrial crisis between the employees of the university and the state

government which led to the shutdown of NDU. “If not for the strike, Wilson would have gone for his compulsory industrial training for final year engineering students.

He was processing the training when the strike started,” he added.

Wilson was said to have a hailed from Ogbia Local Government Area.

He was also the immediate past Vice-President of the National Union of Bayelsa State Students (NUBSS), and leader of the Ogbia students union.

The Police Public Relations Officer for the state command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, was not immediately reachable. A text message sent to him was also not replied.

Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of an Ikeja High Court yesterday sentenced three persons to death by hanging for armed robbery and murder. The convicts, Wasiu Arepo, an aluminium maker, Oluwaseun Idowu, a driver and Ganiyu Hassan, a student and commercial motorcyclist were found guilty on the four countcharge of armed robbery and murder preferred against them

by Lagos State Government in accordance with Section 402(2a) of the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State, 2011 and Section 319 subsection 1(a) of Criminal Code Law of Lagos State, 2011.

According to the prosecution, the convicts committed the offence on February 5, 2011 at Aleke village, Imota at 2a.m. During trial, the complainant, Mrs. Adijatu Bakare, had told the court how the convicts robbed her at her residence. She said when the convicts stormed the house, they demanded from the husband to produce the money he withdrew from the bank a day before.

According to her, In the process, one of the accused, Arepo, shot Abubakar in the chest after which they ransacked the house and carted away N15,000 cash and other valuables, leaving the victim in his pool of blood. He died on his way to the hospital.

In his judgment, Justice Lawal-Akapo said the prosecution had proved beyond doubt that the convicts committed the crime.

Navy Arrest 11 Suspected Fake Personnel in Rivers

The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, has said it arrested 11 men for allegedly parading themselves as naval personnel in Rivers State. Commodore Sanusi Ibrahim, out-going Commander, NNS Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, disclosed this while handing over the suspects to the Rivers Police command, yesterday. He said the suspects used navy uniforms and paraded themselves as “merchant navy” with intent to defraud unsuspecting individuals and companies in the state and environs. According to him, the suspects were caught in the act by operatives of the Nigerian Air Force who reported the matter to the navy.

“On June 17, the Air Police of the 97 Special Operations Group, Nigerian Air Force Port Harcourt, arrested 11 civilians around Rukpokwu police checkpoint parading themselves as naval personnel. “The air police later handed over the suspects to us (navy) to enable us conduct investigation to ascertain if they were truly naval personnel, among other details.

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T H I S D AY •THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016

THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

Rio2016: ‘Don’t Blame Our Athletes If They Fail in Brazil’

Duro Ikhazuagbe With barely six weeks to the opening ceremonies of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Nigerians have been told in clear terms not to blame the country’s athletes if they return empty-handed like it happened four years ago in London.

While reviewing Team Nigeria’s third-place finish last weekend at the African Athletics Championship in Durban, South Africa, President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Solomon Ogba, insisted yesterday that poor funding was hampering the right preparations for podium placement at Rio2016.

“Nobody should blame the athletes if they fail to medal. As I speak with you, the Sports Ministry in Abuja has not received the money to enable the teams embark on the type of preparations to earn Nigeria medals at the Games,” observed the AFN chief who also doubles a vice president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).

Ogba denied claims that Nigerian athletes have completed the first phase of camping for the Rio Olympics.

“As far as athletics is concerned, we have not done any camping. I am saying this because 75 per cent of the athletes we are taking to Rio are not based in Nigeria. If you gather three or four athletes somewhere and you call that first phrase of camping, to us in AFN, that is not camping,” observed Ogba.

However, the AFN president is looking forward to Nigeria’s national trials scheduled to hold in Sapele, Delta State between July 7 and 9 to enable the relay teams yet to qualify for the Games to make the final cut.

“The period of these trials will be used for the Warri Relays. As we speak, South Africa, Ghana and other countries have confirmed their participation for the Warri Relays and it is good for our relay teams to meet the standard.”

The former Delta State commissioner for sport also

Okagbare confirmed that over 20 US-based Nigerian athletes have booked their flights to be part of the trials in Sapele.

“Any anyone who meets the Olympic qualification mark

would be refunded the money he spent on coming down for the trials.”

He exonerated Nigeria’s biggest hope for medal in the track & field team, Blessing

Okagbare-Ighotegunor from blame skipping the African Championship in Durban.

“Blessing (Okagbare) made attempts to secure South African visas to join the team

in Durban. We were informed of her predicament. It was for her not to be idle that weekend that she was entered late for the Madrid meet,” stressed the AFN president.

Despite Nigeria’s drop to third position from the second place two years ago in Morocco, Ogba said the result was not a bad one when viewed from the manner the team departed for South Africa.

“At a point we were not sure of attending the championship.

For us to still be able to win the medals we came back with was through the efforts of the athletes.

“We actually projected to win seven gold medals to finish second in Durban, but an athlete like Doreen Amata could not even repeat what she was jumping before now.

Some of them qualified for the Rio Olympics Games since last year, but from what we saw in Durban, there is need for us to do away with all that. We have to separate the real contenders from pretenders for us to have hope of winning medals in Rio,” concludes Ogba.

Korblah Beats Odoh 2&1 in West CAF League: Sundowns Edge Enyimba Africa Tour Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The ageless Emos Korblah has emerged the winner of the fourth stage of West Africa Golf Tour after he defeated Oche Odoh 2&1 in the final of weather delayed B & E Match-play at IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja.

The Ghanaian closed the

deal on the 17th hole after Odoh lagged a putt that could have stretched the contest to the 18th hole.

It was a moment of pride for Korblah, when his trophy and cash prize were presented to him by the Ghanaian High Commissioner to Nigeria, William Azumah AwinadorKanyirige.

His defeat not withstanding Odoh held his head up

having won two of the four West Africa Golf Tour titles, while finishing second on two occasions.

The Nigeria’s No 1 ranked golfer won the maiden edition in Abuja in February beating Ghanaian Vincent Torgah and showed his competitive edge by adding the second at Port Harcourt Club last month.

He finished in second place at Ilara-Mokin, three shots

out of the lead in March.

Apart from the WAGT, he has won all the two Nigerian PGA events this year-Pa Mark Tournament in Otukpo and CMCL Open in Ilara-Mokin.

“I did not strike the ball the way I wanted to. I was playing golf for a long stretch of time. But it is an honour to be in the final. It was a very close contest. I was two up at early stage of the round.

Nigeria’s representative in the CAF Champions League suffered yet another defeat in the competition following a 1-2 loss to Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa yesterday at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.

It a Day Two match of the continental premier competition and the defeat for Enyimba leaves them with a lot to do as they now have to wait until August for their next clash - away to Zamalek.

With so much to play for, a cagey start was to be expected with both teams relying on the counter-attack.

Sundowns showed in Algeria earlier this month that they are deadly on the counter and after Keagan Dolly burst forward; Khama Billiat saw his powerful shot whistle past the post.

Enyimba, though, needed to

win following their 1-0 defeat to Zamalek in Port Harcourt last week and went close through a counter of their own on 13 minutes.

Ifeanyi Onuigbo brilliantly denied by Wayne Sandilans, who continued the good form he showed in Algeria earlier this month - in place of the suspended Denis Onyango.

Chances were at a premium for the rest of the half, but with three minutes before the break Leonardo Castro toed him home the opener following a blistering run into the area

by Dolly.

Enyimba pulled level through Oluwadamilare Ojo on 59 minutes, after Sundowns failed to clear their lines from a corner-kick - the People’s Elephant midfielder rifled home the equaliser via the inside of he crossbar.

Federation Cup: Rivers Utd to Battle 3SC in Kaduna

A BOOST FOR CYCLING DEVT IN NIGERIA…

L-R: Managing Director, Bridge Clinic, Dr. Richard Ajayi ; Mr. Ladi Jadesimi of LADOL; Managing Director, Tadeotech Nigeria Limited, Mr. Yemi Osilaja and Captain, Cycology Riding Club, Mr. Ladi Soetan during the opening of a bicycle store ‘XBIKES’

by Tadeotech in Lagos on Tuesday

Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) sides Rivers United and Shooting Stars of Ibadan headline the Round of 16 fixtures in the men’s version of this year’s Federation Cup competition, scheduled for next week.

Both teams will do battle at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on Wednesday, July 6, just as Wikki Tourists of Bauchi confront Plateau United in Akure and Sunshine Stars of Akure tackle Akwa United in Makurdi in the other all-NPFL

clashes.

NPFL side FC IfeanyiUbah will take on Katsina United at the Kwara Sports Complex, Ilorin on Wednesday while Enugu Rangers will test might with Crown FC of Ogbomosho at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on Thursday.

Warri Wolves are up against Prime FC of Oshogbo at the Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi while Nasarawa United will lock horns with Dynamite FC of Benin in Lokoja on Thursday.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016

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MISSILE Anyakwee Nsirimovu to Federal Govt “Anybody from anywhere can just pick up an AK-47, create hell with the pipelines and expect the federal government to come and negotiate with them” – Mr Nsirimovu, of the Port Harcourt based Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, saying negotiating with the Niger Delta Avengers, a militant group that has blowing up pipelines, would be counter-productive.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

Fantastically Naïve Gamble I

n a historic referendum with far-reaching implications beyond her shores, the United Kingdom last Thursday voted to leave the European Union. The decision, in favour of Brexit, came after several weeks of acrimonious campaigns, in the course of which a member of parliament was brutally assassinated. “We should be proud of the fact that in these islands we trust the people for these big decisions”, said the Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, as he fought back tears in the course of his resignation speech last Friday.

I feel sorry for the British Prime Minister who has failed to learn that while leaders can get away with calculated risks, they may for the rest of their lives rue the consequences of a gamble. What Cameron imagined would be a routine exercise to reaffirm British membership of EU was hijacked by bigots, hate-mongers and xenophobes. And as things stand today, if the decision to leave Europe eventually turns out to be good for Britain, it is Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson and fellow travelers that will take the credit. And if it turns out to be catastrophic, the blame will go to Cameron. So, either way, he is a loser.

As I once wrote on this page, Robert Greene borrowed the idea of the great German General Erwin Rommel, in his book, “The 33 Strategies of War”, to make a distinction between a gamble and a risk. According to Greene, “the difference is that with risk, if you lose, you can recover” while with a gamble, “defeat can lead to a slew of problems that are likely to spiral out of control”. Yet, as Greene also explained, “people are drawn into gambles by their emotions: they see only the glittering prospects if they win and ignore the ominous consequences if they lose. Taking risks is essential, gambling is foolhardy. It can be years before you recover from a gamble, if you ever recover at all…”

By the time Cameron was promising a referendum on EU membership in January 2013 as a way of checkmating the rising profile of UKIP leader (who was latching onto the immigration crisis within Europe) there was only one likely outcome given the British public mood at the time. So, it was a convenient gamble until other variables over which he had no control took the matter out of his hands. That was how some politicians, including within his own party, began to manipulate ignorant voters into believing the EXIT their ballots would trigger were for immigrants rather than Britain leaving EU. How the outgoing British Prime Minister will recover from this devastating blow remains to be seen but I wonder whether Cameron ever bothered to read the speech of the 18th century parliamentarian and philosopher, Edmund Burke to the electors of Britsol. Delivered on 3rd November, 1774 and published in “The Founders’ Constitution”, Burke had argued that the wishes of the people “ought to have great weight” with a leader while their opinion deserves to be treated with “high respect”.

However, Burke also added that a leader should never surrender “his mature judgment, his enlightened conscience” to public opinion.

“If government were a matter of will upon

Cameron any side, yours (that is, the people), without question, ought to be superior. But government and legislation are matters of reason and judgment, and not of inclination; and what sort of reason is that, in which the determination precedes the discussion; in which one set of men deliberate, and another decide; and where those who form the conclusion are perhaps three hundred miles distant from those who hear the arguments?” asked Burke.

Hours after the votes came in last Friday morning, there was a wave of hate crimes and racial abuse across Britain which made the Conservative Party Chairwoman, Baroness Sayeeda Hussein Warsi, to conclude that the campaign had left behind hostility and intolerance in the country. “I’ve spent most of the weekend talking to organisations, individuals and activists who work in the area of race hate crime, and they have shown some really disturbing early results from people being stopped in the street and saying ‘look, we voted Leave, it’s time for you to leave’. And they are saying this to individuals and families who have been here for three, four, five generations. The atmosphere on the street is not good,” Waris said.

For sure, the outcome of the referendum signposts several things for the United Kingdom and other countries though the first challenge is within its own borders. For instance, Scotland, which voted Remain, is already showing indication it does not want to be dragged out of the EU by English voters. With a vote of 62 percent to 38 percent by the Scots to remain in the EU, First Minister and Scottish National Party (SNP) leader, Ms Nicola Sturgeon, said at the weekend that officials would plan for a “highly likely” vote on separation from the rest of the U.K. What is particularly troubling about the result of the British referendum is that it will embolden right wing politicians who are spreading hate and intolerance around the world. Indeed, the result may echo significantly in the United States where Mr. Donald Trump, the erratic Republican candidate for the November presidential election, was one of the first to congratulate Britain for “taking back their country”, in apparent reference to the anti-immigration sentiment that fuelled the Leave campaign and is driving his own aspiration for the Oval Office.

Yet, amid all these, it is important for the

Nigerian authorities to assemble a group of scenario experts for strategic thinking, especially with regards to the interest of our country in trade and diplomatic engagements in the aftermath of Brexit. Such discussions should not only be about the stand-alone UK but also on the nature of our relationship with a fragmented Europe.

And we have to examine all the implications both at the bilateral and multilateral levels.

Essentially because of our colonial history and common language, the UK is a traditional trading partner and a destination of choice for many Nigerian travelers and migrants. But given the slant of the campaigns of the proponents of Brexit, there will most certainly be shrinking job opportunities for the Diaspora Nigerians living in the UK aside other immigration issues that are likely to come up, including the number of Nigerians who attend British schools. These are critical issues we must be prepared to deal with.

Nevertheless, whatever may be our misgivings,

the British people have made their choice and they have both the capacity and the national character to deal with the consequences so ultimately they will be fine. The Pound Sterling may be going down today almost as theatrically as Raheem Sterling did on Monday night against Iceland, before he and fellow overrated players eventually “voted Leave” at Euro 2016, but I will not bet against England rising to take its place in the world after this phase is over. The main concern should be about our country, Nigeria.

A hitherto uncharted territory like this would also come with its own opportunities and that is why those who manage our economic and foreign policies have to put on their thinking caps.

How does Nigeria benefit from its relationship with a UK that is not shackled by policies decided at Brussels...

NOTE: This piece continues in the online edition at www.thisdaylive.com

Waiting for Arase’s Memoir Last Friday evening, I was at the residence of Mr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo (who resumes in Vienna as OPEC Secretary General in August) to join him for Iftah (the Muslim breaking of fast) when I met Mr. Solomon Ehigiator Arase, former Inspector General of Police. As it would happen, Barkindo and Arase not only studied the same course at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, they were also classmates and friends who graduated the same year.

It was a most enjoyable evening as Arase provided interesting insights into policing in Nigeria, with rich anecdotes and an incredible sense of humour you would never associate with a policeman. He was also full of praise for President Muhammadu Buhari who hosted him to a reception and allowed him

to retire with dignity. However, shortly before we all departed, asked by Barkindo whether he would write a memoir, Arase replied in the affirmative, adding that he had already started putting his thoughts down.

I have no doubt in my mind that if he chooses to do a serious book, such an effort will provide invaluable contributions to public discourse, especially about the delicate relationship between the police and the political authorities (both at the centre and in the states) in Nigeria. And just in case the former IG has not decided on a title for his book, I can easily suggest one to him: “Mr. President, You Don’t Have an IG”.

I am sure Mr. Arase knows what I am talking about. I wish him all the best in the years ahead as we await his memoir.

So, Ojo is Gone!

It was too hard for me to accept last night that Chief Ojo Maduekwe was dead, especially when I called his mobile phone and it was still ringing. And to imagine that it was just a few hours earlier (yesterday afternoon) that we were talking about him at THISDAY Editorial Board meeting as I explained a critical intervention he once made on my behalf.

In my contribution to the special publication for his 70th birthday celebration last August, I wrote that Maduekwe was often criticized, sometimes even lambasted, in certain quarters for participating in every government, especially since 1999. “But contrary to what some of his implacable political foes would want people to believe, Ojo (as he is popularly called) does not belong to the category of Nigerians derogatorily described as AGIP (Any Government in Power) for the simple reason that he never lobbied for all the positions he has occupied. At every point, and under

three succeeding Presidents, it is Ojo’s talent that has earned him those crucial positions and at all times, he distinguished himself.”

I added: “With his rare intellect and that uncanny ability to explain some of the most complex issues in simple but never simplistic terms, Ojo was not the kind of man who would easily adapt to the role of backbencher in any environment. While this ordinarily should be an asset for succeeding administrations, in a milieu where mediocrity seems to be the order of the day, it is difficult for people like him to maximize their potentials…”

There will be a day for me to properly remember Ojo. May God grant his wife and children the fortitude that this most difficult period demands.

NOTE: I have made new postings on my web portal, olusegunadeniyi.com for the benefit of interested readers.

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